The Department of Agriculture (DA) is eyeing the implementation of a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) on pork on March 10 to address increasing prices.
“We have more or less decided that we will issue a pork MSRP after consultation with the industry on March 6. So, malamang mag-implement tayo ng (most probably, we will implement the) MSRP on pork by March 10,” DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a media interview late Monday afternoon.
Tiu Laurel said the final MSRP is still under review and may be finalized on March 7 after the consultation with stakeholders.
“Idea is PHP380 sa liempo (for pork belly), PHP360 sa kasim and pigue (for pork ham) that is coming from PHP450, so malaki iyan (that’s significant [drop]),” Tiu Laurel said, referring to the initial amount being considered.
As of March 3, the price range of pork belly in Metro Manila remained elevated at PHP375/kg. to PHP480/kg.; while pork ham ranges from PHP350/kg. to PHP420/kg., according to the DA Bantay Presyo (pork prices).
Earlier, Tiu Laurel said the retail prices exceeding PHP400/kg. are considered “unreasonable.”
The DA and pork stakeholders, likewise, agreed to look into the reason behind the spiking pork prices, evaluate existing layers of production, and assess the overall cost structure from farmgate to retail prices.
ASF vaccination
In terms of vaccination against African swine fever (ASF), Tiu Laurel said he remains hopeful of securing the approval for commercial use of AVAC live vaccines from Vietnam by April.
The DA earlier said it is eyeing to commercialize the AVAC live vaccines, under close monitoring of the government, on the first week of April to help the hog industry recover upon the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
For his part, FDA Director General Samuel Zacate said they will work on the application carefully and promptly, sticking to their mandate to ensure “safe and efficacious” vaccines for the hog industry.
“We will try our best to evaluate the data that will come from the marketing authorization order. And then eventually, we will come up with a target date. But I cannot assure April, depende kasi iyan (that still depends),” he said in a separate interview.
He said the evaluators of the application are independent and that the conditions under commercial use requirements must be found “satisfactory.”
To date, the DA is rolling out AVAC live vaccines after the FDA’s issuance of certificate of product registration (CPR) for government-controlled vaccination in July 2024.
At least 490,000 doses of ASF AVAC live vaccines are targeted to be administered under the issued CPR.
As of Feb. 14, the barangays with active cases of ASF were down to 68 from the peak of 534 affected barangays logged on Oct. 2, 2024. (PNA)
