The Department of Agriculture (DA) will issue a notice to explain order to rice and pork retailers who did not comply with the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP).
According to a "24 Oras" report by Bernadette Reyes, DA officials caught vendors selling above the MSRP, which is P350 per kilo for kasim and pique and P380 for liempo, in Marikina Public Market.
Only 20%, or one in every five retailers, have followed the MSRP since it was implemented on March 10, 2025.
In Marikina Public Market, liempo cost P430 per kilo, while kasim and pigue cost P400 per kilo.
According to DA Assistant Secretary Genevieve Guevarra, some vendors said they were unable to comply because they are just following the prices of dealers and deliveries.
The Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI), a government-owned and controlled corporation, and a private company are working together to supply pork to retailers at a more affordable price.
“Tinetrace po natin from the farm, yung mga in-outs nila then pagpasa sa byahero, pagpasa sa slaughterhouse hanggang sa wholesaler, retailer. Anything above (P)230 is profiteering na dahil yung dahilan lang naman nila gusto nila makabawi sa mga lugi noong ASF time,” FTI president Joseph Lo said.
(We are tracing from the farm to the deliveries, slaughterhouse, wholesalers, and retailers. Anything above P230 is profiteering; they said this is so because they wanted to recover their losses during the African Swine Fever.)
Imported rice supposedly sold at P45 per kilo due to the MSRP reached P52 per kilo in some places.
Some rice retailers said such prices are imposed since they have expenses like rent, gasoline, toll fees, and operating costs.
“We will be talking with intercity ano itong pagtaas na naman. Ang dami nga natin bigas ngayon so parang di natin maktia asaan ang reason why kailangan magtaas sila ng presyo ng imported,” Guevarra said.
(We will be talking with intercity on the rise of rice prices. We have a lot of rice supply, so we cannot see the reason for the upward trend of imported rice prices.) —Mariel Celine Serquiña/LDF, GMA Integrated News
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