PORK PRICES rose at retail in early May, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), as sellers proved unable to sell the commodity within government price guidelines.
The average retail price of fresh pork shoulder (kasim) rose in the May 1-5 monitoring period to P369.64 per kilo from P365.36 on April 15-17, which the PSA calls the second phase of the month, and P365.19 a month earlier, it said in a report.
Pork prices continued to rise in recent weeks even with a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) in effect. The government lifted the MSRP on May 15 at the request of the pork industry, which claimed that participants in the pork value chain were setting prices too high to allow retailers to comply.
The MSRP had been set at P300 per kilo for a whole slaughtered pig, P350 for kasim and hind leg (pigue) and P380 for pork belly (liempo).
The PSA said the average retail price of regular-milled rice declined to P43.74 per kilo during the first phase of May from P44.44 in the April 15-17 monitoring period. A month earlier, prices averaged P44.92.
The DA has been offering a P29-per-kilo rice program, which it said helped influence market prices.
The DA is currently offering subsidized P20 rice to vulnerable segments of the population. The subsidy is shared with local government units, with the rice on offer in government-backed outlets known as Kadiwa stores.
The PSA said a kilo of galunggong averaged P215.70 at retail during the first phase of May, against P229.11 in the second phase of April and P219.64 a month earlier.
It said the average retail price of tomatoes rose to P75.01 per kilo in the first phase of May, from P66.77 in the second phase of April.
“Similarly, this was higher relative to its price level in the first phase of April at P65.67 per kilogram,” it said.
It said native garlic averaged P178.79 per kilo at retail during the first phase of May.
Native garlic had averaged P190.97 per kilo in the second phase of April and P179.07 in the first phase of April.
The PSA said the average retail price of calamansi rose to P100.72 per kilo in the first phase of May, from P97.43 per kilo in the second phase of April and P92.53 per kilo a month earlier.
Cooking oil posted an average retail price of P176.83 per liter in the first phase of May, from P175.08 in the second phase of April and P174.00 a month earlier. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
