Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. and Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina A. Roque on Monday led the price monitoring activity at Mega Q Mart in Quezon City to ensure compliance with the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) on imported rice and pork.
Effective March 31, the MSRP for imported rice was lowered to P45 per kilo from P49 a kilo. Meanwhile, the MSRP for liempo (pork belly) is P380/kilo, P350/kilo for kasim (shoulder) and pigue (leg), and P300/kilo for “sabit ulo” or fresh hog carcass.
“We observed good compliance here at Mega Q Mart. Rice is priced at Php45/kilo, with some vendors even selling it for Php40/kilo. Pork prices are also in line with the MSRP—Php380/kilo for liempo, and Php350/kilo for kasim and pigue,” Sec. Tiu Laurel said.
Joining the DA and DA chiefs during the market inspection were DA Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing, and Consumer Affairs Genevieve E. Velicaria-Guevarra, DA Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Arnel V. De Mesa, FTI President Joseph Rudolph Lo, and officials from the DTI Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB).
Despite good compliance at Mega Q Mart, Secretary Tiu Laurel expressed concerns over low compliance with the MSRP for pork in Metro Manila. According to a DA report, only 30 percent of more than 170 monitored stalls followed the suggested prices.
“At the farm level, the price has declined from P250/kilo. We’ve observed prices ranging from P235 to P240/kilo. But the agreed price with industry players is P230/kilo, so we must insist on that,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said. He added that the DA is investigating whether the issue of profiteering stems from farms, traders, or retailers.
To address this, the DA met with pork industry stakeholders later Monday to discuss concerns and clarify the agency’s actions. Secretary Tiu Laurel said sanctions may be imposed on those who refused to adhere to agreed upon pork prices.
“I am disappointed because there was an agreement in place. It’s important that we work together with the industry. When an agreement is made, it must be honored,” Sec. Tiu Laurel said.
Meanwhile, the DA is evaluating the possibility of setting an MSRP for imported garlic. During the inspection at Mega Q Mart, garlic prices were found to have slightly increased to P140-P150/kilo, even though the ideal price range should be between P100 and P110/kilo.
In response, Secretary Tiu Laurel has ordered a thorough review of the factors driving up garlic prices and plans to meet with garlic importers to discuss solutions to bring prices down before deciding whether an MSRP should be imposed on imported garlic.
“The declared landed cost of imported garlic is around P80 per kilogram, and in some cases, there are instances of undervaluation. A margin of P40-P50/kilo seems excessive,” he noted. ### (Text by Kristel Joyce Merle & photo by Joseph Henry Elamparo, DA-AFID)
