Pork belly or liempo is the fattiest cut with alternating layers of meat and fat, making it the most flavorful of all pork cuts in the market. Usually grilled or fried, liempo is popular among Filipinos who want a flavorful and fatty pork dish. However, pork liempo remains expensive in the National Capital Region, based on the February 20 data released by the Department of Agriculture (DA). The price of the favored pork cut ranged from P330 to P400 per kilogram, on par with beef brisket, which was sold from P350 to P420 per kilogram in Metro Manila.
Four years ago, pork liempo was sold for an average of P224.50 per kilogram, according to data from the DA. Prices in Metro Manila wet markets in 2018 ranged from P195 to P250 per kilogram. Dressed chicken was sold for an average of P147.96 per kilo based on the February 20, 2018 data of the DA, which was lower than the latest average price of P187.50.
The spike in the prices of meat products was largely due to the outbreak of diseases that significantly reduced the domestic population of hogs as well as poultry. Among the transboundary animal diseases that struck the country, African swine fever (ASF) proved to be the most devastating, resulting in the decline in hog population (See, “Farm growth in 2021 slowest in over 2 decades–PSA,” in the BusinessMirror, January 26, 2022). As there were fewer hogs to slaughter and pork demand remained brisk, retail prices skyrocketed.
With pork prices getting prohibitive, consumers shifted to poultry and other protein sources like eggs. Raisers, however, remain wary of the threat from avian influenza, which nearly crippled Central Luzon’s poultry industry in 2017. Fresh outbreaks of bird flu and ASF would cause surges in the prices of chicken and pork.
The DA is currently reviewing its indemnification guidelines, particularly the amount paid to raisers, in its bid to encourage them to immediately report suspicious fatalities in their farms (See, “Government reviews indemnification scheme for poultry raisers,” in the BusinessMirror, February 16, 2023). Early reporting is crucial to prevent the spread of animal diseases and protect animals in other farms. However, the DA noted that some farmers would rather sell sick birds than wait for indemnification from the government in their desire to recoup production costs.
It would do well for the government to institute mechanisms that would allow raisers to immediately receive compensation for culled animals, as delays would mean income losses or even starvation for those who depend on their backyard farms for livelihood. There’s a sense of urgency for policymakers to focus on this indemnification scheme, which is crucial to help the country fight transboundary animal diseases. This is also a good way for government to help keep food prices stable. Based on Philippine Statistics Authority data, higher food prices caused inflation to accelerate in January.
Experience has shown the need for government to step in and help prevent or fight animal diseases. And there is wisdom in incorporating measures to fight animal diseases in the government’s action plan to combat inflation, which soared to a 14-year high of 8.7 percent in January. Unfortunately, it is the Bottom 30 or the poorest of the poor who suffer the most from high food prices, which makes it more difficult for them to gain access to nutritious food.
The government’s success in addressing the challenges in the agriculture sector will help assure more than 100 million Filipinos that the Philippines can attain food security. The long-term challenge, however, is how the government can pursue food affordability, which is a key component of the country’s food security.