Proposed hike in pork imports gets green light

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) proposal to review the suggested increase in the country’s pork imports to boost domestic supply and stabilize retail prices, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Thursday.

The President, during the 51st Cabinet meeting held Wednesday, agreed to review the minimum access volume (MAV) allocation for pork imports, Nograles said during the virtual press briefing.

“Given that the current minimum access volume or MAV is 54,210 metric tons, the DA has recommended studying that the MAV be expanded just enough to cover the projected shortfall for the year,” he said.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar earlier said his agency is considering tripling the current MAV of 54,000 metric tons as the available domestic pork supply continues to shrink.

The African swine fever (ASF), which continues to be a threat to the swine industry, has forced the culling of nearly 500,000 hogs in the country.

ASF has also prompted the sudden increase in pork prices in the country.

Subtask force vs. agri smugglers, profiteers

During the Cabinet meeting, Duterte also approved the DA’s recommendation to create a sub-Task Group on Economic Intelligence to go after smugglers, profiteers, and hoarders of agricultural products, Nograles said.

He said the DA and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will lead the subtask force.

Members of the subtask group, Nograles said, include the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Customs, the Philippine Competition Commission, the National Security Council, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

“Kung merong mga grupo o negosyante na pinagsasamantalahan ang pandemya para pagkakitaan ang taumbayan, hindi po ito palalampasin (We will not let ay group or trader to take advantage amid the pandemic),” he said.

The DA, the DTI, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and Metro Manila mayors earlier signed a resolution asking Duterte to impose a price cap of PHP270 per kilogram for pork kasim pigue and PHP300 per kilo for liempo.

They also recommended a price ceiling of PHP160 for whole dressed chicken.

On Feb. 1, Duterte signed an executive order imposing a price cap on select pork and chicken products in Metro Manila to address significant increases in prices of several food items in the country’s metropolis.