The Department of Agriculture (DA) is planning to reimpose the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork by the end of July or the first week of August in an effort to stabilize market prices.
In an ambush interview with reporters on Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that the Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) will begin purchasing pork directly from farms, as well as from slaughterhouses and suppliers, to deliver straight to retailers.
Laurel said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the reduction of middlemen in the supply chain to bring down retail prices in markets.
The SRP will be set at P380 per kilo for liempo (pork belly), and P350 per kilo for pigi (ham) and kasim (shoulder).
The DA Secretary noted that the department still needs to revise and finalize certain internal rules and plans before the new pricing scheme can be fully implemented.
He added that the DA is also open to importing pork if necessary to help lower local market prices.
