The Department of Agriculture (DA) is planning to impose a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) on pork as early as March in its bid to ease prices.
As of latest data from DA, liempo prices range from P380 to P480 per kilo while kasim or pork ham goes for around P350 to P420 per kilo.
During the market monitoring of DA and the Department of Trade and Industry on Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. asked retailers why pork prices remain high.
“Sinasabi nila, hindi sila ‘yung dahilan kaya mataas ‘yung presyo. Pinapaliwanag nila, may ahente pa, gasolina, tao, pagkatay at farmgate na sinasabi. Pag-aaralan namin sa DA ‘yung buong value chain para ma-analyze mabuti,” Tiu Laurel said.
(They said they are not the reason why prices are high. The retailers said there are agents, gasoline, manpower, slaughterhouse fee, and farmgate costs that add on to the pricing. We at the DA will study the entire value chain to analyze it well.)
Currently the department is in the process of gathering more information as to why pork prices remain high but it will definitely impose a maximum suggested retail price, he said.
“Earliest na siguro is March pero depende ‘yan kung kumportable na kami sa aming data or impormasyon,” Tiu Laurel said.
(The earliest probably that we will impose MSRP is in March, but that would depend if we are already comfortable with t he data or information we have gathered.)
Tiu Laurel announced Monday that the study on implementing MSRP for pork was expected to be completed by the end of February.
Despite the elevated prices, the DA assured that the country’s pork supply remained sufficient.
