— PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Tuesday that pork producers, traders, and retailers have agreed to review their cost structures ahead of the imposition of a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for the commodity in March.
“We all agreed that high pork prices are a short-term problem that should soon be resolved,” Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said in a statement following a meeting with industry representatives.
He noted that viajeros or traders, who bring the commodity from farm to market, likely add P80 to the price of pork per kilo.
Assistant Secretary Arnel V. de Mesa said on Monday that given a farmgate price of P250 per kilo, a reasonable margin would be the retail price of pork to P380.
“We are trying to strike a balance between the interests of consumers and those involved in the pork industry,” Mr. Laurel said. “The clamor to bring the price of pork down is coming not just from consumers but from retailers as well; their sales are going down.”
Jason H. Cainglet, executive director of the agricultural group SINAG, advised the DA to temporarily refrain from imposing an MSRP, noting that farmgate prices for pork have already begun to decrease from P250 per kilo.
Imported frozen pork is currently priced around P250 per kilo, while domestic pork fetches over P400 per kilo, according to the DA.
Manny Pareja, a pork retailer from Las Piñas, told the consultative meeting that bigger customers such as restaurant and carinderia owners are already choosing imported meat over freshly slaughtered hogs.
He said that while many consumers still prefer fresh meat, the volume they buy has declined significantly because of high prices.
“High pork prices are considered a short-term issue that should be addressed in the near future, particularly after the commercial availability of the African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine,” Mr. Laurel said.
The DA said the Bureau of Animal Industry is hoping that the “positive results” of the initial ASF vaccination rounds will convince the Food and Drug Administration to allow its commercial use.
The BAI said on Monday that about 30,000 hogs have been vaccinated against ASF. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
