THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday that it may set a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork in March, pending results of a market study.
Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. said the DA was due to evaluate the initial findings of an ongoing study of pork prices within the day.
“The earliest (date to impose a price cap) will be in March,” Mr. Laurel said on the sidelines of price monitoring inspection at Commonwealth Market in Quezon City.
He said the DA wants to set a price that is “fair” for all members of the hog industry.
Fresh liempo (pork belly) currently sells for between P380 and P480 per kilo while kasim (shoulder) averages P350 to P420, according to DA price monitors.
Frozen kasim fetches an average of P253.56 per kilo, with frozen liempo at P311.33.
Mr. Laurel have been blaming middlemen for high prices, as well as high gasoline prices, slaughterhouse fees, and the cost to acquire hogs from farms.
“We will study the entire value chain to analyze it well,” he said.
Mr. Laurel said that the full MSRP study expected to be completed by the end of the month. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza