Pork, chicken prices up in NCR

Prices of pork and chicken in Metro Manila markets have gone up amid the holiday season.

According to Bernadette Reyes' Sunday report on "24 Oras Weekend,", a kilogram of kasim pigue at the Litex Market in Quezon City was being sold for P310, while liempo was at P340 per kilo.

A whole chicken was sold for P160 per kilo, while choice cuts were at P180 per kilo.

"Sana 'wag na sila magtaas kasi nahihirapan na kaming magtinda. Ang tao halos hirap makabili," a vendor said.

(I hope they don't raise the prices any further because we're having difficulty selling. Customers can barely afford to buy anything.)

At the Marikina Public Market, a kilo of kasim pigue was sold for P320 to P330, while liempo was being sold for P370 to P390 per kilo.

A whole chicken was sold for P180, while choice cuts were at P200 per kilo.

Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) chairman Rosendo So said the increase in farm gate prices of meat was due to the high production cost.

"Sa supply wala, 'yong food ingredient talagang tumaas at tsaka 'yong itong fuel price 'di ba mataas pa rin," So said.

(There's no problem with supply. The [feed] ingredients have rise, though, fuel prices have risen too, right?)

Further, the Department of Agriculture said pork supplies were still due to the African swine fever.

"Ang mahal 'yong fresh dahil nga may kakulangan pa rin tayo sa baboy dahil nga sa ASF pero ngayon pa lang tayo makaka-recover at ang isa pang nakakadagdag 'yong demand kasi holiday season eh," Agriculture assistant secretary Noel Reyes said.

(Fresh pork is expensive because pork supplies were still limited due to ASF. We've only started to recover recently. Another thing influencing pork prices is the demand during the holiday season.)

— DVM, GMA News