DA allots P45M for grant of chest freezers in select Metro Manila wet markets

As the Philippines moves to boost its pork importation to augment local supply decimated by the African swine fever (ASF), the Department of Agriculture is giving away chest freezers to select wet markets in Metro Manila.

At a virtual press briefing on Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said that “aside from supermarkets and groceries, imported pork will be distributed also in wet markets in Metro Manila particularly to retailers with freezers and/or chillers.”

President Rodrigo Duterte has recommended to Congress the increase in the minimum access volume (MAV) of pork imports to 350,000 metric tons (MT), in a bid to boost local supply and arrest rising prices due to supply disruptions brought by the ASF crisis.

The MAV refers to the volume of a specific agricultural commodity that may be imported with a lower tariff.

“For those without freezers, the DA through the LGUs (local government units) in Metro Manila will provide them a grant totaling P45 million,” Dar said.

“We will be buying a total of 2,500 chest freezers costing P18,000 per unit, with each freezer having a capacity of 150 kilos,” he added.

The DA and the Department of Trade and Industry will be implementing a suggested retail price on imported pork, effective April 9, as the 60-day price cap on meat products is set to expire on April 8.

The DA is no longer recommending to extend the price ceiling.

The SRP for imported pork are as follows:

• Kasim - P270/kilo
• Liempo - P350/kilo

The DA is also requiring importers to package their pork into sellable packages of 1 kilo or 500 grams.

Dar, meanwhile, said that the Agriculture department will continue the repopulation program of the hog industry as it is “our main priority including the fight against ASF.” -MDM, GMA News