Sales of fresh local pork in Metro Manila markets have been booming again since its price dropped, previously hitting P400 per kilo.
Marylin Lazo, a saleswoman at the Commonwealth Market, temporarily stopped selling fresh meat before, but now she plans to import from local producers again. She also said that his sales of imported meat have dropped.
Currently, fresh kasim costs P310 to P320 per kilo, and fresh liempo costs P330 to P340 per kilo.
For frozen or imported, kasim is P240 to P260 per kilo and liempo is P290 to P300.
Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines chairman Nicanor Briones explained that some repopulate or try to raise pigs again, especially in green zones or areas not affected by African swine fever.
“Yung supply ng baboy gumanda-ganda na kasi yung mga nasa green zone lalo sa Visayas, Mindanao, definitely nag-repopulate yang mga yan dahil maganda ang presyo so nakadagdag yan ng supply,” said Briones.
The Department of Agriculture said it would not be difficult to dispose of or sell the imported because they are in cold storage.
Local pork sales up due to price drop
In April, the price per kilo of pork belly has reached P479, P485 for pork steak, P495 for ground lean pork, P505 for pork chop skinless, and P539 for baby back ribs.
About 200,000 metric tons of imported pork have been agreed to be gradually imported into the Philippines within a year.
This was agreed upon recently at the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) Council meeting.
So the pig farmers opposed when the inter-agency committee of the Department of Agriculture (DA) recommended that half of this number be entered immediately within 3 months starting July.
“That’s a recommendation, but we subjected that to a legal review if it contradicts the real intent of the executive order na dapat we have to bring in the supply so that mayroon impact doon sa price,” said Agriculture Assistant Secretary William Medrano.
“We have to bring in the supply, additional supply, so that ma-stabilize ‘yong supply ng baboy from import and then to have a significant impact of reducing the price in the market,” he added.
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