The Department of Agriculture (DA) is moving to address rising prices of pork, chicken, and fish – key food items contributing to inflation – as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported a slight uptick in headline inflation to 1.4 percent in June from 1.3 percent in May.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Friday that while the continued decline in rice prices has brought much-needed relief to consumers, supply gaps in other protein sources are exerting upward pressure on overall food costs.

“The good news is our rice initiatives are working, easing food costs for millions of Filipinos, especially the financially-challenged,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said. 

“But the data also tell us we need to move quickly to address supply gaps in pork, chicken, and fish.”

Latest PSA data showed that pork and chicken prices surged by 13 percent and 10.4 percent year-on-year, respectively – together accounting for nearly a third of the inflation uptick in June. This comes despite food inflation easing to 0.1 percent, from 0.7 percent in May and 6.5 percent in June 2024, due to declining prices of rice, vegetables, and bananas.

Rice, which makes up 25 percent of the food basket, posted a record drop in June, with prices falling 14.3 percent year-on-year. The DA is further lowering the maximum suggested retail price for imported rice (5 percent broken) to P43 per kilo beginning 16 July to ensure continued relief for consumers.

To curb protein-driven inflation, the DA is expanding sourcing strategies for pork and poultry as local production remains constrained by animal diseases such as African Swine Fever. A new suggested retail price (SRP) scheme for pork is set for rollout in August, with a possible SRP for chicken to follow in September.

The DA chief also met with fish importers this week, calling on them to bring in more affordable species not commonly sourced locally to stabilize market supply amid price swings.