DA, DTI eye suggested retail prices on pork, chicken

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are considering coming up with suggested retail prices on agricultural products.

According to Chino Gaston's report on "24 Oras", this is due to the unexplained price increases of pork and chicken in the market even as their farm gate prices remained the same.

Farm gate prices are what farmers or livestock growers charge traders before the produce is brought to the market.

According to a market monitoring survey, the farm gate price for live chicken is at P88 to P95 per kilo and the expected market price should range from P128 to P140.

The actual market price per kilo of chicken is P160.

The farm gate price of hogs are at P125 to P130 per kilo. The expected market price is P200, but the actual market price of pork per kilo is from  P230 to P250.

The DTI and DA suspect that some groups are trying to use the rising petroleum prices to justify increasing their prices.

Producers denied that the price hikes had anything to do with them.

"Gusto lang namin i-clarify na wala sa side ng producer 'yung, if any, 'yung inflationary na nature 'yung sinasabi nilang nakaka-contribute sa inflation 'yung presyo ng baboy at manok o kaya isda," said Jayson Cainglet from the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG). —Jessica Bartolome/NB, GMA News