Pork, carrot MSRP to take effect Dec. 5

By Stephanie Sevillano, Philippine News Agency

The Department of Agriculture on Wednesday (Dec. 3) announced that it will impose a maximum suggested retail price for imported pork and carrots on Dec. 5. (Pexels photo)

MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday announced that the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for selected pork cuts will be enforced starting Friday.

The move comes as the DA prepares to impose a temporary import ban on live hogs and pork products from Spain, currently the country’s second-largest source of pork, following reports of an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak.

In an ambush interview, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the agency is finalizing the pricing measure to keep retail prices stable during the holiday season.

“Ang target ko is by Friday, mailabas iyong (My target is to release by Friday the) MSRP for other products,” he said.

In particular, Tiu Laurel said they are set to impose the MSRP of PHP370 per kg. for pork liempo (pork belly) and PHP350 per kg. for pigue (ham) and kasim (shoulder).

On the planned suspension of imports from Spain, Tiu Laurel said products processed on or after Nov. 11 will be prohibited unless certified ASF-free.

“I think this Christmas season, medyo reasonable ang price ng pork. Pero, siyempre, sa demand baka tumaas ng konti (there’s somehow a reasonable price of pork. But, of course, the demand might slightly increase). But, more or less, it’s affordable,” he said.

He assured consumers that the ban would not affect local supply, noting that cold storage facilities remain well-stocked and market prices have been relatively steady.

DA monitoring as of Dec. 1 shows pork ham in Metro Manila selling at PHP270 to PHP390 per kg., while pork belly ranges from PHP320 to PHP470 per kg.

Aside from pork, the DA will also impose an MSRP of PHP120 per kg. for imported carrots starting Friday.