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MANILA – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said his office and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are now working out the suggested retail price (SRP) for imported pork in groceries and supermarkets.
In a Palace briefing Tuesday, Lopez said the SRP of imported pork in groceries and supermarkets will be lower than the price ceiling set for locally sourced pork in wet markets.
“Knowing that the landed cost for imported pork is lower than farm-gate price here, our suggestion is lower SRP or price ceiling for imported pork that will be sold in the supermarkets,” he said in Filipino.
The Trade chief said they will also require labeling of outsourced pork as imported to distinguish the SRP for the commodity.
“We are now computing (the SRP) jointly with (the) DA. What is important is that consumers will have options. If they want cheaper meat, they can go to groceries and supermarkets, where there is SRP,” he said, adding they will finalize the price cap on imported pork within this week.
Aside from lower landed cost of imported products, Lopez said groceries and supermarkets have lesser traders in between the supply chain -- a reason for these establishments to implement the SRP for pork.
The official added they have received reports on price manipulation on pork meat.
The National Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and the National Security Council along with DA and DTI, are verifying these reports, Lopez said.
Meanwhile, Samahan ng Industriya at Agrikultura (SINAG) chairperson Rosendo So said in the same briefing the group welcomes the move to have SRP on imported pork sold in groceries and supermarkets.
So, however, added that the tariff for imported pork should stay at 40 percent as they can still compete in the domestic market even at that tariff rate.
He said at 40 percent tariff, landed cost for imported pork is at PHP117.87 per kilogram.
The retail price for imported prime cut pork in groceries and supermarkets should be around PHP152.87 per kilo, So said.
This is lower than landed prices of pork from local hog raisers as computed by the DA.
DA Secretary William Dar said the landed price of pork from Mindanao to Manila is at PHP165 per kilo and PHP170 per kilo for pork coming from Visayas, Region 4-B, and Region 5.
However, So said groceries and supermarkets are selling imported pork at PHP350 to PHP400 per kilo.
He urged the government to strengthen its monitoring of prices of pork in groceries and supermarkets. (PNA)
