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'Main culprit is El Niño': How hot weather affects chicken prices in Philippines
The local poultry industry may need to implement more long-term interventions if it hopes to survive this cycle’s 'Super El Niño' season
- PUBLISHED: Fri 24 Jul 2026, 10:16 AM
Extreme heat in the Philippines has affected its poultry industry, lowering production and raising prices, the country’s agriculture authorities revealed.
Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel announced that farm gate prices of chicken have increased by as much as 35% from P104 to P140 (Dh6.18 to 8.34) per kilo.
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Dressed chicken in local markets now retail for at least P240 (Dh 14.25) per kilo. Retail prices are also affected by fuel price increases since hostilities have resumed in the Middle East.
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Weather-induced
Tiu-Laurel cited the El Niño weather phenomenon affecting the Philippines with hotter temperatures and drier weather for the slower growth of poultry in the country since May.
“The main culprit here is El Niño. It’s the heat. If the temperature rises, the chickens struggle in breeding and egg-laying. Production really decreases,” he said.
United Broilers Raisers Association chairperson Elias Jose Inciong said increased temperatures slow down chicken growth. “There are even mortalities. So breeders like us cut back on production. The costs are increasing,” Inciong said.
Inciong said that Luzon island breeders are more affected by the drier weather than other parts of the Philippines, such as the Mindanao and Visayas regions.
The breeder revealed that small to medium-sized breeders are also wondering if vendors would buy poultry if they impose price increases in accordance with risen production costs, but hopes the onset of the monsoon season would ease temperatures and production worries.
Very strong phenomenon
Monsoon rains are battering portion of Mindanao since Wednesday, drawn into southern Philippines by Tropical Storm Noul, currently located northeast of the country. Its rains remain intermittent in Central and Northern Luzon, however, where temperatures remain high, and where the biggest poultry farms are located.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned that the weather phenomenon has emerged since June and is gradually intensifying into a “strong to very strong” condition by the last quarter of 2026, with impacts likely to persist until early 2027.
The weather agency explained that while rainfall will remain sufficient in the coming months, a significant decline is expected starting October, potentially worsening into prolonged drought by the first quarter of next year.
PAGASA Senior Weather Specialist Larry Esperanza said that sea surface temperature in the equatorial Pacific is steadily gaining strength, potentially reaching “very strong” or “super” El Niño levels (more than 2.0°C above normal) by October to December. “By the end of this year, it is almost certain we will be under a strong El Niño condition, and this weather pattern may continue until the first quarter of 2027,” he said.
The weather specialist warned that rainfall in the Philippines will begin to drop significantly to below normal levels across Northern Luzon starting October. “By November, our maps turn red, meaning critically low rainfall volume,” Esperanza noted.
From breeders to consumers
The local poultry industry may need to implement more long-term interventions if they hope to survive this cycle’s “Super El Niño” season.
In Zambales province, BTR Farms had been compelled to install expensive exhaust fans at its poultry houses to draw hot air out and draw cooler air in from the opposite end. The farm said the fans are needed to protect the chicken from heat stress.
Carmen Ramos, a poultry vendor, has cut back on her daily orders from the chicken slaughterhouse from 100 to 50 kilos, noting a decrease in sales in the last three weeks. Her biggest customers, small restaurant owners, had been serving smaller portions to avoid raising prices themselves.