Metro Manila, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is eyeing to reimpose the maximum suggested retail price on pork products (MSRP) starting Friday, Dec. 5, to prevent price spikes in the holiday season.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Wednesday, Dec. 3, said the MSRP will be set at P370 per kilogram for liempo, or pork belly, and P350/kg for kasim (pork shoulder) and pigue (pork ham).
The MSRP on pork was imposed in March and lifted in May as stakeholders cited low supply after the African Swine Fever (ASF) surge last year.
As of Dec. 1, the prevailing prices of various pork products in Metro Manila markets were as follows:
– pork ham – P355/kg
– pork belly – P380/kg
– frozen kasim – P250/kg
– frozen liempo – P300/kg
Ban on pork imports from Spain
Meanwhile, the DA is expected to release an importation ban on pork products from Spain, one of the world’s leading pork exporters, on Wednesday amid an ASF outbreak there.
A task force of European Union veterinarians has begun work in Barcelona to help contain the outbreak as Spain said the number of wild boars found infected with the virus rose to nine.
“Anything produced in Spain after Nov. 11 onwards will not be allowed until ma-clear sila sa [until they will be cleared from] ASF,” Tiu Laurel said in a news conference.
He said the import ban on Spanish pork products will have no effect on local supply.
“I think this Christmas season, medyo reasonable ang price ng pork. Siyempre sa demand baka tumaas nang konti pero more or less affordable naman,” the DA chief said.
[Translation: I think this Christmas season, pork prices will be reasonable. There may be a rise in demand but more or less pork will be affordable.]
Fish supply, MSRP on carrots
Meanwhile, Tiu Laurel also said a price cap on imported carrots may also be carried out on Friday, Dec. 5. He said the MSRP will be set at P120/kg.
For fish, the DA is expecting prices of galunggong, or round scad, to remain high in December amid limited global supply.
Tiu Laurel said costs of tulingan, a type of mackerel tuna, may go down to P230/kg to 250/kg as imports come in after a series of weather disturbances.
As of Dec. 1, galunggong has a prevailing price of P380/kg, while P300/kg for imported galunggong.
