After bringing down the price of rice, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is aiming to arrest the price of pork.
A market monitoring effort led by DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Trade and Industry Secretary Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte found that pork prices remain high.
Data showed that pork belly prices range from P380 to P480 per kilogram, while pork ham goes for around P350 to P420.
“They say they are not the reason for the high prices,” Tiu Laurel said, referring to vendors. “They explain that there are agents, gasoline, labor, slaughtering costs and farmgate prices. We in the DA will study the entire value chain to analyze it carefully.”
Tiu Laurel said the agency is collecting more data to determine why pork prices remain high, but it would come up with a maximum suggested retail price.
“The earliest would probably be March, but that depends on whether we are comfortable with our data or information,” Tiu Laurel said.
Meanwhile, Speaker Martin Romualdez yesterday welcomed the DA’s initiative to set the National Food Authority (NFA) rice price at P35 per kilo, saying it will help ensure food security for Filipinos.
However, alongside this positive development, Romualdez stressed the government must also guarantee fair income for farmers to sustain local rice production.
“Ensuring that rice remains affordable is crucial for our consumers. However, we must also ensure that our farmers receive fair compensation for their hard work,” the Speaker said.
Romualdez highlighted the importance of balancing consumer needs with the welfare of farmers, saying that this is very important for the benefit of all stakeholders.
“The ideal situation is to maintain a high farmgate price that provides the right income for our farmers while ensuring that the price of rice in the market is affordable for consumers,” he said in Tagalog.
Romualdez assured the public that Congress will monitor the implementation of this pricing strategy.
“We will closely observe how this policy unfolds and determine if additional government interventions are necessary to sustain it,” he noted.
Romualdez also called for strong coordination between the DA and NFA with lawmakers to ensure that the policy does not negatively impact local rice farmers.
“I urge the Department of Agriculture and the National Food Authority to work closely with Congress to ensure that this policy does not unintentionally discourage local rice production,” he said. “The end goal is food security – one that benefits both farmers and consumers.”
Despite the elevated prices, the Department of Agriculture assured the public that the country’s pork supply remains sufficient.
The department earlier imposed a maximum suggested retail price for imported rice. Beginning Feb. 15, the price will be lowered to P52 per kilogram from P55. This will be reduced further to P49 by March 1.
This gradual approach aims to mitigate potential market disruptions, Tiu Laurel said.
Tiu Laurel also consulted the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement on the proposed labeling for both imported and locally produced rice.
The Feb. 10 meeting focused on key labeling requirements, including milling date, rice variety, broken percentage and other essential details to enhance transparency and help consumers make informed choices.
The government also reduced rice prices under the KADIWA ng Pangulo’s Rice-for-All program on Feb. 12. The price reduction reflects both a drop in global rice prices and an increase in domestic supply as the local harvest season gets underway.
Tiu Laurel said the Rice-for-All prices would be lowered by up to P3 per kilogram. RFA5 rice will be priced at P43 per kg., RFA25 at P35 and RFA100 at P33.
Tiu Laurel told local farmers that the National Food Authority would procure palay from local farms at a price of P21 to P23 per kg., ensuring fair compensation for their harvests.
He said the NFA has sufficient funding to support farmers and uphold its mandated rice buffer stock, now equivalent to 15 days of national consumption under the revised Rice Tariffication Law.