The government and hog raisers have reached a middle ground on the matrix of the impending suggested retail price (SRP) scheme on pork products sold in the wet market.
Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines Inc. (ProPork) President Edwin G. Chen told the BusinessMirror that the SRP on pork products would be based on a fixed mark-up costs to the prevailing farm-gate prices.
The SRP would be implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Chen said the SRPs for pigue (ham) and kasim (shoulder) would be equivalent to the farm-gate price plus P70 per kilogram, while liempo and pork chop would have an additional P90 per kilogram.
“Those are the SRPs for pork products, which would only be temporary,” he said via SMS.
“ProPork supports the government to fight inflation [and have] affordable and safe food,” he added.
Chen said the SRP would be reviewed weekly based on the prevailing farm-gate prices of hogs, which is dependent on the current supply and demand for pork. Chen did not disclose when the SRP on pork products would be implemented.
The government has been releasing a series of SRPs on farm products, including onion, garlic and fish products, since June following sudden spikes in their retail prices.
The SRPs on farm products are being implemented by the DA and other government agencies to avert further spikes in retail prices and curb inflation.
Last week the DA released its price matrix for the SRP on rice products, which is set to take effect on October 23.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol earlier said livestock and poultry industry stakeholders have also requested for a support price for their produce to ensure raisers’ income during times of oversupply and falling meat prices in the market.
Piñol said the idea was floated by broiler industry stakeholders following the implementation of an SRP on chicken meat recently.