Pork prices may rise by P1.25/kilo as Christmas Day nears—DA

The price of pork could increase by as much as P1.25 per kilo as Christmas Day approaches, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Sunday.

The maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork currently stands at P370 per kilo for liempo and P330 per kilo for kasim and pigue.

“Sa pork po, ang ating MSRP ay nasa P370 sa liempo kasi kino-consider natin ang liempo as the choice cut sa baboy. So ang presyo po niyan talagang iba kumpara sa ibang cuts ng baboy. Sa kasim at pigue naman po, nasa P330 ang ating MSRP,” DA Assistant Secretary Genevieve Guevarra said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB.

(For pork, our MSRP for liempo, or pork belly, is P370 per kilo because we consider it a choice cut. Its price is naturally different compared to other cuts. For kasim, or shoulder, and pigue, or leg, the MSRP is P330 per kilo.)

However, based on trends observed during past Christmas seasons, pork prices could still see a slight increase, Guevarra said.

“Well, based sa experience natin sa mga nakaraang taon, may nakikita tayong maliit na pagtaas, usually around P1.25. Lalo na kapag tumataas ang demand dahil alam naman natin na may mga handaan,” she said.

(Well, based on our experience in previous years, we usually see a small increase of around P1.25, especially when demand rises due to holiday celebrations.)

Still, the DA noted a shift in consumer behavior, with more people opting to buy prepared food rather than cook at home.

“Pero tignan natin dahil ang trend ngayon ay pagdating ng Noche Buena, hindi na nagluluto ang mga mamimili at bumibili na lang ng luto,” Guevarra said.

(But let’s see, because the current trend among consumers during Noche Buena is that they no longer cook and instead buy prepared food.)—Vince Angelo Ferreras/MCG, GMA Integrated News