SRP for pork mulled as prices rise anew

MANILA, Philippines, November 16 ------ The Department of Agriculture (DA) is considering the implementation of a suggested retail price (SRP) for pork as the cost of the commodity is starting to increase again ahead of the holiday season. At a briefing on Monday, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the DA is studying the possibility of an SRP mechanism for pork, both imported and local.

Market monitoring has shown a steady increase in the price of pork in wet markets over the past month, and this may further increase as the Christmas season nears and demand picks up again. “One month ago, farm gate prices decreased but lately, as we approach Christmas, it is rising again. That’s why we are having a relook of this SRP mechanism,” Dar said. Dar has yet to provide an estimate on the new SRP. But earlier this year when DA implemented the same strategy, SRP was set at P260 per kilogram for pork ham or kasim and P290 a kilo for pork belly or liempo.

According to DA, kasim was priced at P280 a kilo last month but this has already increased to P320 as of last week. For liempo, a P20 increase has been noted from P340 to P360 per kilo. “We are still doing our homework before we release. It is still part of the discussion,” Dar said. “We have to bring in the Christmas season factor. Supply is still challenged and while we have repopulated (our hogs), the additional supply is still not that big. With the opening of the economy, the demand is higher,” he said.

The DA is expected to finalize its SRP mechanism this week following recommendations from its consumers group, operations and policy, and livestock group. As to concerns that vendors might once again stage a pork holiday similar to what happened the last time, Dar emphasized that this was unlikely. “This is not the time to do that (pork holiday). I don’t think that will happen. I think they want to sell and everyone wants an affordable price,” Dar said.

Meanwhile, as the holiday season approaches, food security advocacy group Tugon Kabuhayan called on Filipinos to patronize locally made products amid the expected spike in consumption and spending patterns. “We’re not only talking about mainstream online and app-based platforms but also of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that adapted to the gradual market shift,” the group said. “We take this as a positive indicator that Filipinos have the capacity to patronize and support locally made products,” it said.

For Vitarich Corp., one of the country’s pioneers in poultry production, consumers are assured of the freshness and quality of locally produced chicken. For fruits and vegetables, Tugon Kabuhayan emphasized that buying local will significantly help farmers and the entire community involved in the supply chain. “When we support local products, we contribute to the growth of domestic producers which can boost employment generation. Consumer spending targeted on local products will give renewed impetus to economic recovery from the pandemic,” the group said.

Source: philstar.com