Pork prices going down, says DA

Prices of pork are stabilizing and now below the levels in January, when prices peaked amid the continuing effects of the African swine fever, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

According to the latest report from the DA’s Bantay Presyo Price Monitoring Unit, the prevailing price of kasim (pork shoulder) is now at P280 per kilogram, down from its peak price of P360/kg in January.

Also, a kilo of liempo (pork belly) now sells at P340 or P60 less than the P400/kg in January.

The price of frozen pork sold in wet markets remained lower by P60/kg compared to fresh pork—at P220 for pork shoulder and P280 for pork belly.

In a statement, the DA said it expected a continuing decline in local pork prices at wet markets in the National Capital Region. If this continues, retail prices may return to the price levels in September last year, it added.

Meanwhile, the “no vaccine, no entry” policy being implemented by local government checkpoints caused the wastage of at least eight tons of tomatoes in Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya.

The DA said bulk buyers from Metro Manila and Central Luzon were prevented from reaching sellers, who were forced to get rid of their harvest at a loss.

Because of this, prices of the high value crop have decreased from P40 to P10 per kilo over the past week. Unsold stocks were either dumped, plowed back into farmlands or used by animal raisers—if there were takers. INQ