Cheaper pork out of reduced tariff rates to be felt in June — DA chief

Meat vendors at Commonwealth Market, Quezon City adhere to the price ceiling order of the government for pork products in this February 9, 2021, photo. INQUIRER file photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines—Prices of pork are expected to go down when imported pork products “out of the lowering of tariff” start arriving in the Philippines in two months’ time, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said on Monday.

“I understand, ang pagpasok po ng imported ay nasa 40 to 60 days [the entry of imports is from 40 to 60 days],” Dar said, responding to Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto’s query during a hearing of the Senate Committee of the Whole.

“Ok siguro ano pa, by June [Ok maybe what, by June]?” Recto then said as he also asked about the possibility of pork prices hitting as much as P500 per kilo.

Recto was asking Dar when the prices of pork are expected to go down following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order lowering tariff on importation.

“Ay sana hindi hahantong dun, dapat magtulungan po tayo kasi talagang manipis na yung ating supply sa ating bansa,” Dar said.

(I hope that won’t happen so let’s help each other because our supply in the country is really thin.)

But Senator Panfilo Lacson, in the same hearing, insisted that there is no shortage of pork in the country, citing government’s own data in the last three years.

Lacson noted that the annual average consumption of pork from 2018 to 2020 was at 1.85 million metric tons (MT) while the annual average local production was 2.25 million MT.

“Where’s the shortage? ‘Di ba malinaw na higit pa sa sapat ang supply [Isn’t it clear that the supply is more than enough]?” he then asked.