The January to March 2023 duck production was estimated at 6.25 thousand metric tons, liveweight, indicating a decline of -0.3 percent from the 6.26 thousand metric tons, liveweight output in the same period of 2022. (Figure 1)

During the period, Central Luzon was the top producer of duck with 1.48 thousand metric tons, liveweight or 23.6 percent share to the total duck production. Completing the top five regions with the highest volume of duck production at liveweight in the first quarter of 2023 were the following:
a. SOCCSKSARGEN, 0.82 thousand metric tons;
b. Cagayan Valley, 0.71 thousand metric tons;
c. Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 0.70 thousand metric tons; and
d. Western Visayas, 0.70 thousand metric tons.

These regions accounted for 70.6 percent share to the country’s total duck production during the quarter.

Relative to their outputs in the same quarter of 2022, nine regions registered decrements in duck production during the quarter. In terms of level, SOCCSKSARGEN recorded the highest decline of 0.25 thousand metric tons, from 1.07 thousand metric tons in the first quarter of 2022 to 0.82 thousand metric tons this first quarter of 2023.

As of 31 March 2023, the total duck inventory was estimated at 14.38 million birds. This was 14.2 percent higher compared with the previous year’s same period count of 12.59 million birds. About  68.6 percent of the country’s duck population came from smallhold farms, while the remaining 28.2 percent and 3.2 percent were from semi-commercial and commercial farms, respectively. (Figure 2)

Central Luzon recorded the highest duck population of 5.25 million birds as of 31 March 2023. This was followed by SOCCSKSARGEN and Cagayan Valley with corresponding inventories of 1.52 million birds and 1.47 million birds. These three regions shared 57.3 percent to the country’s total duck population during the period.

The average farmgate price of duck for meat was quoted at PhP 179.91 per kilogram, liveweight during the reference quarter. This records a decrease of -9.3 percent from the previous year’s same quarter quotation of PhP 198.46 per kilogram, liveweight. (Figure 4)

In the first quarter of 2023, the highest average farmgate price was recorded in January at PhP 183.78 per kilogram, liveweight, while the lowest average farmgate price was quoted in February at PhP 177.67 per kilogram, liveweight.

DIVINA GRACIA L. DEL PRADO, PhD
(Assistant National Statistician)
Officer-in-Charge, Deputy National Statistician
Sectoral Statistics Office