DA mulls imposing another price cap on pork, chicken for farmgate, traders

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is studying the imposition of a price ceiling on pork and chicken for farmgate and traders, its spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Noel Reyes, said on Wednesday.

On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the imposition of a price cap on pork and chicken for 60 days in the National Capital Region but only for retailers at public markets.

“Pinag-aaralan na na sa mga susunod na polisiya doon na mismo sa farmgate, pati sa trader's price, tapos sa retailer. So tatlo,” he said.

“So ngayon, sa retail pa lang,” he added.

Under Duterte's Executive Order (EO) 124, a price ceiling on pigue is set at P270 per kilo, liempo at P300 per kilo, and dressed chicken at P160 per kilo.

Reyes said violators may face 5,000 up to P1 million and a year up to 10 years of imprisonment.                

Several meat vendors in Metro Manila raised their concern over loss of income with the implementation of a 60-day price cap on pork and chicken.

DA Secretary William Dar earlier blamed unscrupulous traders and wholesalers for the spike in pork prices amid the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak.

He said some traders and wholesalers are making a large profit margin of more than P200 per kilo, between the farmgate price of live hogs and retail price of pork in public markets.

On Tuesday, Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines Inc. vice president Nicanor Briones denied that traders manipulate the prices of their products amid the rise of pork prices in the market.

He attributed the increase in pork prices to the impact of ASF to the income of hog raisers.

According to Reyes, the department has been preparing legal actions against unscrupulous traders and wholesalers.

“'Yan po ang tinutunton ng Bantay Presyo team namin at dinodokumento na lang po para maganda po ang kaso kapag nagsampa na po sa korte...Natunton na po namin yung iba,” he said.

Asked about the calls on the resignation of Dar, Reyes said, “Kilala ho namin at kilala nila ang sarili nila na 'yung mga nananamantala.”

“Ginagawa na po natin ang ating katungkulan para sa pakinabang ng mas marami. Yung mga consumers po umaaray na.” —KBK, GMA News