DA to reinstate MSRP for pork imports
The Department of Agriculture (DA) will reinstate the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork, but only for imports.
“We will not set an MSRP for local pork because there is a supply shortage,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a news briefing on Monday.
The DA is consulting industry stakeholders on the new price ceiling for pork, but Tiu Laurel said the indicative MSRP per kilogram is P270 to P300 for pork “kasim” (shoulder cuts) and “pigue” (leg); and P300 to P350 for pork “liempo” (belly).
“I will talk to the industry [players]. This is a short-term policy only … to address [price spikes] while the local hog industry is repopulating,” he told reporters.
The occurrence of African swine fever is one of the reasons cited by the DA and industry stakeholders for the reduced supply and retail price hikes.
The DA introduced the MSRP for pork in March to prevent price gouging before scrapping it on May 15 at the request of industry stakeholders.
