Total goat production from October to December 2022 was estimated at 20.81 thousand metric tons, liveweight. This indicates an annual reduction of -2.5 percent relative to its same quarter of the previous year’s output of 21.34 thousand metric tons, liveweight.

The top five regions with the highest volume of goat production at liveweight during the period were the following:

a. Central Visayas, 3.00 thousand metric tons;
b. Ilocos Region, 2.42 thousand metric tons;
c. Central Luzon, 2.18 thousand metric tons;
d. Northern Mindanao, 1.90 thousand metric tons; and
e. Davao Region, 1.88 thousand metric tons.

These regions accounted for 54.6 percent share to the country’s total goat production.

In comparison to their output in the same quarter of 2021, seven regions  posted  decreases  in  production  during  the  quarter.  In  terms of level, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao registered the highest annual decline of 0.21 thousand metric tons from 1.46 thousand metric tons, in the same quarter of the previous year to 1.25 thousand metric tons, this fourth quarter of 2022.

Total goat inventory as of 31 December 2022 was estimated at 3.88 million heads. This indicates a decrease of -0.6 percent from the previous year’s same period count of 3.91 million heads. Decreases in goat stocks were noted in all farm classifications with commercial farms posting the highest decline of -9.9 percent. Smallhold farms accounted for 99.2 percent of the total inventory during the period, while the remaining 0.8 percent comprised of semi-commercial and commercial farms.(Figure 2)
 
Central Visayas recorded the highest goat population of 597.87 thousand heads as of 31 December 2022. This was followed by Western Visayas and Central Luzon with corresponding inventories of 485.91 thousand heads and 421.43 thousand heads. These three regions shared 38.8 percent to the country’s total goat population.

The average farmgate price of goat for slaughter was quoted at PhP 212.82 per kilogram, liveweight for this quarter. This was 22.4 percent higher than the previous year’s same period average farmgate price of PhP 173.89 per kilogram, liveweight. (Figure 4)

During the reference quarter, the highest farmgate price was observed in December at PhP 230.66 per kilogram, liveweight, while the lowest was recorded in October at PhP 202.36 per kilogram, liveweight.

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