MANILA: The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday conducted trade checks in three supermarkets in Quezon City to ensure the availability of safe and affordable meat.
In an ambush interview, DA Undersecretary for Livestock Deogracias Victor Savellano said the supermarket visit showed that the public has options amid the spike in meat prices in local markets, with the highest reaching PHP420 per kg. for liempo (pork belly).
“Proven, nakita natin. Namasyal tayo. Tatlong supermarket iyong pinuntahan natin and available, affordable, tsaka accessible iyong ganito (We’ve seen it. We went to three supermarkets and there are available, affordable, and accessible [options]),” he said, referring to the local and imported meat being sold at the Waltermart Muñoz branch, SM North hypermarket, and SM supermarket.
Of the three supermarkets, the lowest price is at PHP345 per kg. of liempo, PHP263 per kg. of pork kasim, and PHP160 per kg. of chicken.
In a separate interview, DA Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa confirm
ed an increase in the farmgate price of pork due to the persistent threat of African swine fever (ASF).
“Tumaas iyong farmgate ng baboy. Supposed to be nasa mga PHP210 per kg. Nakaka-receive tayo ng (The farmgate price per kg. of pork increased. Supposedly it should be only at PHP210. But we are receiving [reports] of about) PHP215, PHP220, may (there’s even) PHP225 per kg.,” he said.
He, however, noted that the retail price should not reach as high as PHP420 per kg. in the public markets.
“Iyong kasim, dapat nasa PHP320, PHP340 and iyong liempo dapat nasa PHP380 ang presyo. So iyong nagbebenta ng PHP420 medyo mahal talaga iyon (The prices of kasim should only be PHP320 to PHP340, and liempo should only be at PHP380. So, PHP420 is quite expensive),” De Mesa said.
Ryan Jacolo, 26, a regular buyer, said he prefers to shop in supermarkets, considering the “good quality of meat” and “comfort of buying” with minimal price difference.
‘Mas quality na iyong cuts niya, mas malinis iyong environment compared sa l
ocal market, kasi minsan dun exposed iyong mga produce (The quality of cuts are better, the environment is cleaner compared to local markets where sometimes their produce are exposed),’ he said in a separate interview.
Meanwhile, supermarket meat supply concessionaire North Star Meat Merchants assured that it would continue to partner with the DA to sustain the availability of cheaper meat to the public.
“Iyon yung gusto nating ibahin na perception na mahal po ang supermarket. Actually, iyong program po natin with the DA, ongoing since last year (That’s the perception we want to change, that it’s more expensive in the supermarket. Actually, our program with the DA has been going on since last year),” North Star Meat Merchants president Anthony Ng said in a separate interview.
‘We know when and how to order the stocks. Hindi po tayo sasabay sa price fluctuations ng ating local at imported na meat being in the retail-centric setting (We do not go with the flow of the price fluctuations in local and imported
meat being in the retail-centric setting).”
Ng said they are supplying meat to 1,500 Alfamart stores, as well as more than 200 SM supermarkets, and more than 50 Waltermart outlets Luzon-wide.
Production cost
Savellano, meanwhile, said the DA would explore other solutions and secure talks with the feeds section to reduce production costs in the livestock sector.
“Iyon ang laging sinasabi nila, tumaas ang cost of production. So iyon yung challenge sa amin na pababain namin iyong cost of production (That’s what they are claiming, the increased cost of production. So, that’s our challenge, to reduce the cost of production),” he said.
The DA will also look into increasing local production to reduce importation, as well as boosting the production of ingredients for feeds.
Besides this, he said, the DA is also speeding up efforts and collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration to secure approval for an ASF vaccine, particularly for vaccines from Vietnam and the United States.
Source: Philippines News
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