DTI checks sudden hike in pork prices

Admitting they did not expect it so soon, trade officials have started checking reports of a sudden increase in the prices of pork by as much as P10 per kilo, a radio report said Wednesday. Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya said that they will verify the matter with the Department of Agriculture (DA), to check if a shortage of supply could have caused the price hike. "Di dapat ngayon yan. Mukhang napaaga yata ang pagtaas ng presyo. Ang palagay ko lang, which we will still have to verify with DA, kung nagkaroon ng kakulangan sa volume (The price hike should not have taken place this early. We will have to verify with DA if this was because of a shortage in supply)," Maglaya said in an interview on dzXL radio. She said the reports of a P10/kilo hike came as a surprise, since DA assistant secretary Salvador Salacup told her they expect pork prices to rise "November or December."

Even Albert Lim, president of the National Federation of Hog Farmers, said he was surprised why pork prices suddenly increased. "Ang presyo ngayon sa baboy, wala talagang reason para magpapataas ang presyo ng retail price ngayon kasi at this time of the year, matumal ang demand, kaya nagtataka ako bakit tumataas ang presyo [sa] palengke," Lim told GMA News on Wednesday. (There is no reason to increase the retail price of pork because there is no demand during this time of the year, that’s why I’m wondering why there is a sudden increase in market prices.) Maglaya said it is possible that pork vendors are trying to make up for low sales due to scares over swine flu and ebola reston that hit some hog farms earlier this year. "Posible siguro, trying to make bawi sa kanilang losses in the past (It is possible the vendors are trying to make up for their losses earlier this year)," she said. Lim also suggested that it could be that the price that retailers offer just varies depending on who their customer is. "Ang bentahan sa palengke, iba-iba depende talaga kung sinong tao ang pupunta sa palengke (The prices in the market vary depending on who the buyer is," he said. DTI to determine cause of price hike Still, Maglaya said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will look into whether the cause of the price hike came from the farm gate price, or from the retailers. If there is evidence, she said those behind the price hike may face charges of profiteering. The DTI official also said that the DA may also come up with a guide price list, if needed. "Siguro tulad ng dati nagkaroon ng problema napunta P170-180 naglabas ng guide price ang DA. Siguro ganoon dapat ang gawin (If the need arises, we may have the DA come up with a list of guide prices)," she said. On the other hand, Lim assured the public that there is enough supply of pork in the country even when the "ber" months come but that prices may really increase by then. "I can assure the consumers that we would have sufficient supply of pork, hindi kailangang tumaas ang presyo pero normal lang yan kung tumaas ang presyo (there is no need to increase prices, but it would only be normal in December)," he said. - with a report from Kim Tan, GMANews.TV