DA to lift pork MSRP due to low compliance

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to lift the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) policy for pork products being sold in wet markets due to low compliance among retailers.

DA Undersecretary for Livestock Constante Palabrica, on Wednesday, said that the lifting of the MSRP for pork “will be announced within 24 hours.”

“It will be lifted, while we are studying on how we can implement the MSRP [better],” Palabrica told reporters in an ambush interview.

The Agriculture official said the move would be a “one step backward, two steps forward” strategy, as the MSRP on pork will be revised to encourage compliance among pork retailers.

Since the policy was implemented on March 10, the DA has been lamenting low compliance with the MSRP at only about 30%.

The Agriculture Department established an MSRP, setting prices at P380 per kilo for liempo, P350 per kilo for kasim and pigue in wet markets across the National Capital Region (NCR), and P300 per kilo for pork sold by traders to retailers, excluding supermarkets and hypermarkets.

“So expect a possible revision of the MSRP, [we’re] holding it in the meantime while we’re studying on how we can make it really effective,” Palabrica said.

“Let’s put it this way… we’re going to lift it, we’re going to study it then come up with a revised program,” he added.

The DA official explained that pork retailers have had difficulties in compliance due to low supply of pork amid the ongoing African swine fever problem and “so much demand because of elections.”

“So we’re going to study it… and Come up with a better policy,” Palabrica said.

Retailers have since admitted difficulties in complying with the MSRP, as they said they cannot sell other pork cuts, forcing them to offset losses through kasim and liempo sales. They also cited expenses for biosecurity amid threats of illness such as the African swine flu. —VAL, GMA Integrated News