DA plans to import pork for ‘Kadiwa’ stores
The Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to import 150,000 metric tons (MT) of pork, two-thirds of which will be sold at lower prices in “Kadiwa” Stores in time for the holiday season.
“Maybe 100,000 metric tons would be for Kadiwa stores since there are also food services and others,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told reporters on the sidelines of the post-State of the Nation Address briefing in San Juan City on Tuesday.
Of the remainder, 30,000 MT will be set aside for meat processors to help ease the prices of canned goods, Tiu Laurel said.
“What we’re aiming for is that once all of this gets approved, by December, rice will be cheaper, pork will be cheaper, there won’t be much of a price spike, so hopefully our Christmas will be lighter and easier for all of us,” he added.
The DA earlier announced that it could reinstate the maximum suggested retail price for pork by “early August” to temper rising prices due to strong consumer demand.
ASF effect
The sector also faces production challenges because of the African swine fever (ASF), which has been reported in several provinces.
Government data showed that as of July 11, six provinces still had active ASF cases, namely Benguet, Zambales, Bohol, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.
Pork prices in the market surged to as much as P430 per kilo in the early part of 2025.
Based on the DA’s price monitoring as of Tuesday, the price of pork per kilo in wet markets in Metro Manila ranged from P258.94 to P426.07.
In the first quarter of the year, meat importation reached 344.59 million kilograms. The figure was a 25.9 percent increase from 273.64 million kg in the same period last year, as the local market continued to grapple with the effects of ASF.
