High pork retail prices hit

MANILA, Philippines —  The farmgate price of pork remains low at P200 per kilo, but its retail price has reached as high as P420 per kilo in Metro Manila markets, according to a hog raisers’ group.

In an interview with The STAR, Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines chair and AGAP party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones said overpriced pork products should be checked by the Department of Trade and Industry.

“The P420 per kilo for liempo (pork belly) was too much. Our farmgate price was only P200 (per kilo) and if you add P120 for additional cost (of traders and retailers), the retail price of kasim (pork shoulder) should be P320 and liempo should be between P350 and P370 per kilo. So the P420 is already overpriced,” he explained.

Based on the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s monitoring, pork shoulder was sold for as high as P350 per kilo and pork belly, P420 per kilo.

The retail price of pork belly increased by P20 per kilo compared to its highest cost of P400 per kilo on Monday.

Briones reiterated that the DA should implement a suggested retail price on pork.

“We only increased the farmgate price on Dec. 23, 2023 amid the expected high demand on Dec. 24 due to the holidays. Before that, we were below break-even. Our farmgate price ranged between P150 and P180 per kilo. Our production cost, especially backyard raisers, was already P180 per kilo, so we did not earn last year,” he recalled. – Catherine Talavera