Duterte approves 60-day price ceiling for pork, chicken

Rappler.com | February 01, 2021

President Rodrigo Duterte approved an executive order (EO) setting a price ceiling on pork and chicken.

EO No. 124, signed on Monday, February 1, imposes the following price range limits for 60 days:

 Pork (pigue) - P270 per kilo

 Pork liempo - P300 per kilo
 Dressed chicken - P160 per kilo

Processed food will be affected, only when the raw materials are locally sourced.

DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castelo - 01

The EO was proposed by the Department of Agriculture (DA), as pork prices soared to as high as P450
per kilo in January, which is already around the same price of premium beef.

The hog industry struggled with supply due to outbreaks of African swine fever, as well as constraints in
capital amid the coronavirus-triggered recession.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said traders manipulating prices are the ones to blame for the price
hikes in recent months.

 There's no need to impose this to the provinces where prices of meat is a lot lower.

DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castelo - 02

Along with the price ceiling, the DA also proposed lower tariffs on pork imports to tame prices.

However, some senators have questioned the proposal, saying that it would hurt the local industry.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday said the new Executive Order (EO) that imposes a price
ceiling on pork and chicken products in the National Capital Region (NCR) is likely to take effect on
February 8.

“The price ceiling will effectively be enforced by Feb. 8 this year by all the institutions involved,”
Agriculture Secretary William Dar told the House committees on Agriculture and Food as well as Trade
and Industry.

Sec. William Dar

Meat prices in Negros Occidental further surge

Sunstar | February 01, 2021

CONSUMERS in Negros Occidental may have a tighter budget during this time as prices of meat products
have further surged to as high as almost P22 per kilo.

The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), in its February 1, 2021 Prevailing Market Price of Livestock and
Poultry Monitoring, reported a P21.27 per kilo increase in the average price of dressed broiler chicken.

From P159.35 per kilo two weeks ago, it went up to P180.62 per kilo this week.

The Fourth District composed of Bago City, Pulupandan, Valladolid, San Enrique, Pontevedra and La
Carlota City registered the highest price of dressed broiler chicken in the province, averaging at P189.17
per kilo.
In terms of pork, the PVO reported an increase of P15.69 per kilo compared to its cost during the last
two weeks.

From an average price of P204.76 and P213. 40 per kilo on January 18 and 25, respectively, the
prevailing market price of pork per kilo is P220.45.

The highest average price was still noted in Fourth District, at P223.33 per kilo.

If per locality alone, the highest price of the commodity was noted in Bacolod City, at P260 per kilo.

Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said the reasons for the upward movement in the prices of
meat products particularly chicken and pork, are the current higher cost of all agricultural commodities.

Decena said the increase in the price of pork is relative to the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in
Luzon.

He earlier said the demand for pigs in Luzon has started to increase since October last year.

The province's shipment to Luzon including Bulacan, Tarlac and Pangasinan from January 1 to 22, 2021
alone is almost 6,000 heads.

The liveweight prices of pigs in Luzon soared up to P280 per kilo, the local pig prices also followed,
Decena said, adding that aside from high demand and price in Luzon market, the province also shipped
out pigs to Iloilo and Leyte market last month.

"I recommend that the national leadership shall harmonize all agriculture programs with stakeholders
and economic managers same as solutions of other developing countries," the provincial veterinarian
stressed.

For other meat products, the PVO reported an increase of P3.81 per kilo in carabeef (carabao meat);
beef - P3.76; and chevon (goat meat) - P8.06.

Prevailing prices of carabeef is P268.21 per kilo, while beef and chevon cost P278.21 and P337.39 per
kilo, respectively.

The average prices of eggs, meanwhile, range from P6.66 to P8.81 depending on sizes. The increases
range from P0.16 to P0.20 per piece.

Guv warns traders vs price manipulation of pork, chicken

SunStar | February 02, 2021

GOVERNOR Eugenio Jose Lacson warned traders against price manipulation and of taking advantage
amid high prices of pork and chicken.

"Don't take advantage of the situation. Moderate income should be enough," Lacson said Tuesday,
February 2.

He also clarified that the local prices of meat products increased not because there is lack of supplies but
because of these traders.

The governor added that Manila buyers who go to Negros to buy their meat supply buy high and when it
reaches the markets, "their profits have more than doubled."

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, February 1, signed Executive Order 124, imposing a 60-day
freeze in the prices of pork and chicken in Metro Manila.
It was learned that the order will take effect after the 15-day publication but Lacson revealed that the
order has already affected and that the local price has been reduced to P20 per kilo for live pigs based
on the testimonies of commercial hog raisers who supply pork to Metro Manila buyers.

Lacson reassured that the province has enough supply of pork and chicken as well.

Dr. Renante Decena, provincial veterinarian, said that Negros Occidental has a surplus of 15,000 heads
of swine every month.

In fact, he revealed that live swine in the province is priced at P150 per kilo from backyard raisers and
P180 per kilo from commercial raisers.

Unlike the high price of pork in Bacolod City, which is at P260 per kilo, out of town, like in Isabela town,
pork price is at P190 per kilo, as well as in some areas with enough supply like Murcia, Kabankalan,
Moises Padilla and the fourth district.

Decena said enough supply of pork is due to the genetic improvement introduced by the province in
previous years.

Daily consumption of swine in the province he said is about 1,000 heads daily.