Vendors say no cheap pork to sell at markets; Dar says ‘not true’

Agriculture Secretary William Dar on Wednesday denied the complaint of market vendors who say they have yet to find cheap pork, according to Maki Pulido’s report on “24 Oras,”

“Hindi totoo ‘yan. Marami na kaming naparating. Hindi totoo ‘yan. That’s too negative. We have 4,000 hogs a day, average, na requirement sa Metro Manila,” Dar said.

“Lahat ng requirement ng Metro Manila, mino-mobilize ng department ngayon. So walang problema dahil ‘yun nga, 4,000 lang ‘yung requirement niya everyday, nadadala lahat,” Agriculture assistant secretary Arnel De Mesa said.

If the supply will be sold wholesale at P235 per kilo, retailers should be able to follow the P270 to P300 price ceiling.

However, vendors maintained that they have yet to find such cheap pork.

Earlier, meat vendor Annabel Barreto bought her supply at P255 per kilo. Due to this, she sold pork meat at P290 and liempo at P350.

“Sana kung sila lang ang pupunta dito, bagsakan kami ng baboy P235 ayos lang. Eh di mas maganda. Eh, wala nga,” Barreto said.

“Walang kinikita, eh. Abonado pa. Ang pwesto namin araw-araw, P1,180. Lugi,” Rhino Bodigas, another meat vendor, said.

The Department of Agriculture does not yet have a complete list of the markets where the hogs which should be sold at P235 per kilo were delivered.

Information only showed that the hogs which arrived at Dalahican Port on February 16 went to the public markets in Parañaque, Las Piñas, Alabang and Muntinlupa.

The DA said it is in talks with wholesalers who distributed the hogs to markets.—Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News