Go presses meat prices ceiling
As prices of pork and chicken have gone through the roof, the Executive Department should step in by imposing a price ceiling.
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said the continued rise in pork prices was due to supply shortages brought by the African swine fever (ASF) while chicken prices had been subject of some illegal manipulations by opportunistic traders.
“I am appealing to the Executive Department to study the imposition of price ceilings on pork and chicken, the costs of which are now beyond the reach of our countrymen particularly minimum wage earners,” Go said.
“If possible, the government should absorb the effects of this problem, to relieve the ordinary people of the burden from rising prices,” he added.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is also planning to increase the volume of pork imports and augment local supply by tripling the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) to keep the meat prices in the country stable.
Raise MAV
Agriculture Secretary William
Dar said during a Laging Handa briefing last Monday an increase in the MAV “is included in the plan.” MAV currently provides for 54,000 metric tons of imports per year.
MAV refers to the volume of specific agricultural commodity, such as pork, allowed to be imported with lower tariff rate.
Go has expressed his support to the DA proposal but added that appropriate legal processes must be observed.
Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Ruth Castelo, during the agency’s television program Konsyumer Atbp., also said DA and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently convened the Task Group on Food Security to discuss various trading issues resulting to higher prices of agricultural products.
Dar and Lopez met the group last 14 January after prices of pork, chicken and vegetables were reported to have risen in many public markets nationwide.
Farm prices on uptick
I am appealing to the Executive Department to study the imposition of price ceilings on pork and chicken, the costs of which are now beyond the reach of our countrymen.
Average inflation rate for 2020 settled at 2.6 percent, which is below the midpoint of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas target. However, inflation in agricultural products was recorded to be faster due to lower production as a result of the damage caused by typhoons. The increase in meat inflation, on the other hand, is caused by the decline in production due to the ASF.
If possible, the government should absorb the effects of this problem, to relieve the ordinary people of the burden from rising prices.
To address the issues on ASF, President Rodrigo Duterte had issued Executive Order 105 which created the National Task Force on Animal-Borne Diseases. This seeks to undertake activities to prevent the entry of animal-borne diseases, control their spread and address other related issues.
Earlier, Go also lauded President Duterte for signing Executive Order 123 modifying the rates of import duty on certain agricultural products under section 1611 of Republic Act 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Go emphasized that the issue of rising prices must be addressed given the economic ramifications of the current pandemic and their effects on the lives of ordinary Filipinos.