The Department of Agriculture has taken steps to ensure steady and adequate supply of basic consumer goods—including rice, meat, fish and chicken—throughout the Christmas season, an official said.

The per-kilo of regular milled rice was already down to an average of P30 in the first week of November from a high of P37 in July, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup said in a statement, citing data from a survey by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) of several major public markets in Metro Manila.

He said the government’s aggressive procurement of rice in the first half of the year and intensive distribution of rice at subsidized prices led to reduced market prices even during the traditional lean months of July through to September.

Data from the BAS also showed the price of refined sugar had fallen to P36 a kilo from P38 in the past three months and from as much as P40 a kilo in October last year, Salacup said.

The price of chicken has also been stable at P120 a kilo over the past three months, while choice pork cuts have fallen to P150 a kilo from a previous high of P170-P180, he said.

The price of “galunggong” fish has remained constant at P100 and that of tilapia has fallen to P80 a kilo, he added.

“The favorable price trend is partly a result of the Department of Agriculture’s continuing effort to mobilize support among various agriculture sub-sectors for a freeze on price adjustments ahead of the Yuletide,” Salacup said.

He cited as an example the United Broiler Raisers Association, which has assured the National Price Coordinating Council of adequate supply of chicken for the Christmas season.

“In fact, the broiler industry leaders headed by Gregorio San Diego, are clamoring for lower retail prices of chicken of at least P110 a kilo to further boost consumer demand and lead to a faster turnover of their stocks at the farm level,” Salacup said.

Major livestock industry players have also agreed to adopt a “suggested reference price band,” in which prices of prime pork cuts are expected to drop to P140-P150 a kilo from a high of P180. Amy R. Remo; edited by INQUIRER.net