DA proposes retail prices for chicken, pork

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture has proposed suggested retail prices (SRP) for chicken and pork to prevent price spikes during the coming Christmas season.

The department recently held a consultation meeting with chicken and pork suppliers to keep prices at reasonable levels when demand for these products would rise leading up to the holiday season.

Current retail price for pork ranges from P200 to P220 per kilo in major Metro Manila markets, while chicken retails for as much as P140 per kilo.

During the consultation, the proposed SRP for pork would be placed at P175 for pigue (loin) and P185 per kilo for liempo (belly), while for chicken it was placed at P135 per kilo.

Agriculture assistant secretary for agribusiness and marketing Leandro Gazmin said the department would submit the proposed SRP to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that is authorized to issue the proper order.

He said the agriculture department has also proposed regular bi-weekly meetings to closely monitor the prices of meat commodities in the next two months.

Gazmin urged more stakeholders from the chicken and pork market value chain to participate in the succeeding dialogues.

Agriculture undersecretary for livestock Jose Reaño said the department continues to put in place strategies to make the livestock and poultry subsectors competitive for economic integration in Southeast Asia next year.

He said the department aims to give opportunities to all stakeholders in the poultry and livestock industry.

“We want to boost the retail market to ensure the incomes of our local producers (farmers) and sustain the local poultry and livestock industries,” said Reaño.

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) lauded the proposed SRP.

“We have been demanding the DA and the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) for the past weeks to immediately act on the continuing high retail prices of pork and chicken products despite the reduction at the farm gate for live hogs and chicken,” said SINAG chair Rosendo So.

The latest farm gate price watch report released by SINAG indicated prices for live hogs at P106 to P120 per kilo.

The prevailing farm gate price for chicken, meanwhile, ranges from P75 to P82 per kilo.