The Department of Agriculture (DA) and key players in the swine industry have pledged to strengthen enforcement of government-imposed price ceilings on pork products amid rising concerns over widespread violations in local markets.

The move follows a high-level consultation held on 14 April, during which the urgent need to address profiteering and safeguard consumers from unjustified price hikes was addressed.

DA inspections conducted earlier this month revealed that fewer than 10 percent of vendors were complying with the maximum suggested retail prices (MSRPs) for pork.

The MSRPs currently stand at P300 per kilo for freshly slaughtered carcass, P350 for pigue (ham) and kasim (shoulder), and P380 for liempo (belly).

Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock Dante Palabrica emphasized that the MSRPs were the result of a mutual agreement between the government and industry players to avoid resorting to more aggressive market controls.

He also noted that the pricing scheme is meant to balance the interests of producers, retailers, and consumers at a time when food inflation continues to affect household budgets.

Swine repopulation program

The DA, in a statement Sunday, also revealed it is rolling out a P1-billion swine repopulation program.

The initiative, which Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. recently approved, aims to jumpstart hog production by distributing around 30,000 gilts to large-scale farms. These farms are expected to return the favor by supplying reared pigs for redistribution to backyard growers.

The agency hopes to raise the current stock from roughly 8 million to 14 million heads by 2028.

Meanwhile, the government’s Food Terminal Inc. has started purchasing 500 hogs daily from commercial farms to deliver directly to slaughterhouses, ensuring a steady pork supply in public markets and boosting compliance with the MSRPs.