DA eyes maximum SRP for onion, pork

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is planning to implement a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) on red onion and pork.

“We might impose MSRP on red onions because we have a lot of imports but the prices on the market did not go down,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a chance interview with reporters on Thursday.

“This means somebody is taking advantage and I have a suspicion it's the retailers,” he said.

The Agriculture chief said the MSRP on red onions could be set at P120 per kilo.

“If possible, it could be P100 or P110 per kilo,” he said.

Data from the DA showed that the price of local red onion in Metro Manila market ranges from as low as P120 per kilo to as high as P200 per kilo.

Tiu Laurel said the DA still needs to evaluate the plan, but said the possible implementation of MSRP on onion could be next week.

“For pork, it’s the same, we might implement MSRP because the farmgate price is too low… the farmers are losing already,” he said.

“But, why is it the price of liempo is still at P380… it should be at only P330 per kilo… so we might impose MSRP,” he added.

Data from the DA showed the price of pork belly (liempo) in Metro Manila markets ranges from a low of P320 per kilo to as high as P480 per kilo, while frozen liempo ranges from P290 to P360 per kilo.

Tiu Laurel said the DA will still have “to talk to retailers first” concerning the agency’s plan to impose MSRP on pork. — BM, GMA Integrated News