DA, hog raisers agree to cut pork prices

The Department of Agriculture and major players in the hog industry have reached an agreement to bring down the price of pork.

In a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, over 30 hog industry stakeholders – producers, meat processors, wholesalers and retailers — agreed to observe a reference price band and a reasonable profit margin.

The “reference price” ranges from P140 to P150 per kilo of choice cuts like pigue, kasim and liempo.

Based on market data, the farm gate price is P82.25 per kilo, while the average retail price is P140 a kilo for all cuts. The price of liempo and other prime cuts, ranges from P145 to P170 in Metro Manila markets.

Yap said the meeting  was held to find a common ground among industry players to come up with a fair reference price that would be beneficial to producers and traders, on one hand, and consumers, on the other.

Yap said “pulling down the retail cost of pork items will benefit not only consumers. Producers and traders will also benefit because lower market prices will boost consumer demand and thereby mean greater profits for them.”

Present during the dialogue were Albert Lim, president of the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NFHFI); Rene Eleria, NFHFI chairman; Soledad Agbayani, president of the Philippine Association of Hog Raisers Inc. (PAHRI); Dan Gomez, chairman of the Meat Handler and Dealer Association of the Philippines (MHDAP); and Jess Cham, president of the Meat Importers and Trader Association (MITA).

Also present were Jerome Ong, vice president of the Philippine Association of Meat Processor Inc. (PAMPI); Emar Ozeata, marketing manager of Gemsun Marketing; Rico Geron of the Sorosoro Ibaba Development Corp.; and Rep. Nicanor Briones of  the Lipa Multi-Purpose Cooperative Marketing Association (Limcoma).

Prior to Monday’s dialogue, DA officials had met with hog industry leaders to discuss their concerns over certain issues saddling the livestock subsector, notably the big spread between the farm gate and retail prices of pork cuts.

DA officials denied reports of a government ban on meat imports to the Philippines .

Bureau of Animal Industry Director Davinio Catbagan said he was instructed by Yap to review the issuance of import permits for agricultural products as part of intensified efforts to curb smuggling.

“There is no ban,” Catbagan assured.

“The instruction of the Secretary is in view of the alleged rampant smuggling in the hog sector. He instructed the DA regulatory agencies such as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bureau of Plant Industry and BAI to review the issuance of import permits to determine if there are lapses,” Catbagan explained.