Swine industry stakeholders have agreed to step up enforcement of the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork. Compliance across markets has dropped to below 10 percent, threatening stability in the sector.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said over the weekend that the private sector has pledged to police its ranks and curb profiteering, following a consultative meeting on 14 April.

The renewed push comes after DA inspections conducted since early April showed widespread disregard for MSRPs.

Under current DA guidelines, the MSRP is set at P300 per kilo for the freshly slaughtered carcass, P350 per kilo for pigue (leg/ham) and kasim (shoulder), and P380 per kilo for liempo (pork belly).

Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock Dante Palabrica said the commitment upholds a gentleman’s agreement reached in earlier talks, which aims to prevent the need for more disruptive government interventions.

Striking fair balance

“The MSRPs aim to strike a fair balance between the interests of producers, traders, retailers, and consumers — especially in light of continued inflationary pressures,” Palabrica said.

Palabrica also announced the launch of a P1-billion swine repopulation program recently approved by Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr.

The initiative will distribute some 30,000 gilts to large farms, which will later repay the government by supplying reared pigs to backyard farmers.

The effort forms part of a broader DA strategy to restore the country’s hog inventory to 14 million heads by 2028, up from the current estimate of 8 million.

Tiu Laurel has previously urged the industry to support the three-year recovery plan, which aims to return to pre-African swine fever levels.

To further stabilize pork supply and pricing, DA’s Food Terminal Inc. has begun purchasing 500 pigs daily from large farms for direct delivery to slaughterhouses, reinforcing efforts to meet the established MSRPs.