DA sets new SRP on agri goods sold in NCR wet markets

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday issued a new set of suggested retail prices (SRP) for basic agricultural commodities sold in Metro Manila’s wet markets.

The SRP, the DA said, excludes supermarkets.

The update was necessary “as changing cost structures in the supply chain require updating to allow retailers to realize reasonable profit, while ensuring that consumers are protected from profiteering,” according to the Agriculture department.

The updated SRP — contained in DA Administrative Circular (AC) No. 17, signed by Agriculture Secretary William Dar on November 26, 2020 — serves to guide retailers and consumers amid the Luzon-wide price freeze imposed in light of the pandemic and the series of calamities that have devastated the country.

The DA-AC 17 revokes other previous orders (ACs 16, 14 and 11) and will remain in effect for two months or until a new AC on the same matter is issued.

The new set of SRP covers seven categories, namely rice, livestock and poultry, fish, lowland and highland vegetables, fruits, spices, and other basic items.

Their respective prices per kilogram are the following:

Rice

•     Local: special, P50; premium, P45; and well-milled, P40
•     Imported: special, P52; premium, P45; and well-milled, P36

Livestock & poultry

•     Beef rump, P380; brisket, P300
•     Pork pigue/kasim, P260; liempo, P290
•     Whole chicken, P140
•     Chicken egg (medium), P6.50/piece

Fish

•     Milkfish (bangus), P160
•     Tilapia, P120
•     Roundscad (galunggong) imported, P140
•     Alumahan, P250

Lowland vegetables

•     Ampalaya, P120
•     Sitaw, P100
•     Pechay (native), P80
•     Squash, P30
•     Eggplant, P100
•     Tomato, P100

Highland vegetables

•     Cabbage (Scorpio), P70
•     Carrots, P80
•     Habitchuelas (Baguio beans), P130
•     White potato, P70
•     Pechay (Baguio), P80
•     Chayote, P40

Fruits

•     Calamansi, P50
•     Banana: lakatan, P90; latundan, P70
•     Papaya, P60
•     Mango (carabao), P150

Spices

•     Red onion local, P160; imported, P120
•     White onion (imported),  P100
•     Garlic, P90
•     Ginger, P160

Other basic items

•     Sugar: refined, P50; ashed, P45; brown, P45
•     Cooking oil (palm) 350 ml, P25; and 1 liter, P50.

“Those who fail to comply with the SRPs could be fined between P5,000 and P2 million and face imprisonment between five and 15 years,” the DA said.

The agency encouraged consumers to report to the DA SRP violators at (02) 8920-0925 and da.consumersprotection@gmail.com “so that appropriate corrective measures could be taken.”—AOL, GMA News