Pork SRP sought amid high retail prices

A suggested retail price (SRP) on pork should be imposed amid high retail prices resulting from tight local supply caused by the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in the country, according to the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines.

“There should be an SRP in markets in Metro Manila and Luzon. The Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture (DA) should know the farmgate price and talk to traders and retailers to determine the reasonable added costs,” the group’s chair, AGAP party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones, said in a radio interview yesterday.

The retail price of pork belly remains high at P400 per kilo.

It reached P420 per kilo last week.

Pork belly’s retail price should only range between P350 and P370 per kilo if the farmgate price is P200 per kilo, Briones maintained.

Pork shoulder’s maximum increase from traders to retailers should be P120 (P320 per kilo), he added.

As for the flooding of imported pork products in the country, Briones said they are not against importation.

“What we are against is overimportation and low tariffs on imported meats. Importers are earning much. At present, we have enough stocks in the cold storage, averaging 70 million to 100 million kilos. The use of imported frozen products is saturated as the public prefers fresh over frozen (products),” he explained.

Up to 60 provinces and 492 towns are still grappling with ASF, according to the DA.

Based on the Bureau of Animal Industry’s Jan. 25 data, only 11 provinces out of 82 nationwide remain ASF-free or under the dark green zone.

Provinces that remain ASFfree are Basilan, Batanes, Biliran, Bohol, Bukidnon, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Palawan, Siquijor, Sulu and TawiTawi.