“Marami tayong baboy, hindi naman tayo nagkukulang sa supply. Ang problema natin, wala talagang pambili ng baboy, kulang ang sahod nila sa sobrang mahal ng mga bilihin natin.”

(We have a lot of pigs, we are not short of supply. Our problem is that there is no money to buy pork, their wages are insufficient because our products are so expensive.)

This is what the Metro Manila Meat Dealers Association (MMMDA) said when asked about the factors behind continued pork price increases in local markets in the past few months.

In a radio interview on Sunday, MMMDA president Richard Chan said that there is in fact no problem with the local supply of pork and that consumers have a tight budget for buying the meat due to their low salaries.

“Kahit ang mga tindera sa palengke [nagtataka] bakit sobrang tumal ng paninda, nagtitipid masyado ang mga mamimili natin kasi nga masyadong tumaas ang mga bilihin tapos ang sahod nila hindi naman din nagbago,” he said.

(Even the vendors in the market [wonder] why the sales of merchandise are sluggish; our consumers are saving too much because the prices have increased too much and their wages have not changed either.)

Chan also expressed concerns about why pork prices in markets are high, as its farmgate price is only P215.

“Bakit sa palengke ang taas ng presyo? Ako mismo nagtaka rin. Meron din akong mga shop dito sa Dasmariñas, talagang ang mga tindera ang nagtaas ng presyo talaga.”

(Why is the price so high in the market? I myself was also surprised. I also have shops here in Dasmariñas; it's actually the vendors who have raised the prices.)

He added that pork used to be sold in markets approximately at P330–P215 as its farmgate price, with P60 for pork dealers and P60 for pork retailers.

“Matumal din naman kasi ang [bentahan] ng baboy, kaya kung hindi sila magtataas ng presyo, kung mananatili sila sa presyong patong P60 lang eh talagang magugutom din ang tindera ng baboy. Kasi dati umuubos sila ng apat na baboy sa isang araw, ngayong panahon na ito dalawang baboy na lang.”

(The [sale] of pork is also slow, so if they don't raise the price, if they stay at the price charge of only P60, the pork seller will really starve. Because they used to consume four pigs a day, now it's only two pigs.)

He said that pork prices might be expected to go back to their normal prices during Holy Week.

“Babalik yan ngayong Semana Santa. Pagdumami ang supply ng baboy ang mga producer niyan mapipilitang magbaba [ng presyo] dahil sa dami ng supply nila,” said Chan.

(It will be back this Holy Week. When the supply of pork increases, the producers will be forced to lower [the price] because of the amount of their supply.)

“Kasi supply and demand pa rin yan. Kahit anong gawin nila hindi nila pwedeng ipitin yung baboy nila malalakihan yan lalong magmumura ang presyo, mas malaking baboy mas mura,” he added.

(Because it's still supply and demand. No matter what they do, they can't squeeze their pigs, the bigger they get, the lower the price, the bigger the pig, the cheaper it is.)

With this, the United Broiler Raisers Association (UBRA) said earlier that there is a possibility of consumers finding alternative protein sources, like chicken and eggs.

Based on the Department of Agriculture's latest price monitoring, pork liempo prices currently range from P340 to P420 per kilo, while pork ham, or kasim, is between P290 and P370 per kilo.