Industry group wants SRP on pork

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker and pork industry group official yesterday pushed for the implementation of a suggested retail price (SRP) on pork products amid the high retail prices reaching up to P400 per kilo.

In a radio interview, AGAP party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones, who also chairs the farmers’ group Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, noted that the farmgate price ranged between P165 and P190 per kilo, but the retail cost of pork in markets is overpriced by as much as P80 per kilo.

“The farmgate price (of pork) slightly increased by P10 (per kilo) as it is sold between P180 and P190 (per kilo), but this is also the day when the demand of pigs in the piggery is the highest amid the Christmas celebration,” Briones said.

He explained that if the farmgate price of pork was at P190 per kilo, the maximum additional cost should only be between P310 and P320 for pork ham and P350 for pork liempo.

“The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Agriculture (DA) should coordinate so that they can determine how much the farmgate price is. If they know the farmgate price, they can determine the right retail prices in the markets. They should implement the suggested retail price in the markets,” Briones said.

He added that instead of acting on the high retail price of pork, NEDA and the DA instead recommended to President Marcos the importation of more pork.

“What they know is to suggest to the President to import more and more, that’s the sad reality,” Briones said.

Based on monitoring of the DA in 13 Metro Manila markets, the retail price of pork shoulder or kasim ranged between P260 and P370 per kilo and between P300 and P400 per kilo for pork belly or liempo.

“(Concerned authorities) should inform the consumers on the right prices. In the past years, consumers were not informed about the right pricing,” Briones said.

He added that the government could not impose a price cap on pork as the traders would only manipulate the price and sell pork at higher prices to retailers.

“There are raisers who can sell farmgate prices of P165 (per kilo). On the average, the farmgate price is at P170 (per