Hog raisers have assured consumers of sufficient supply of hogs and that prices of pork in Metro Manila should range between P140 to P150 per kilo based on the farm gate price of P90 to P92 per kilo from commercial hog farms and P85 from backyard producers.

This developed as the Department of Trade and Industry was asked by the Department of Agriculture to help in the monitoring of pork, which prices have gone up to P160 per kilo from P150 per kilo.

DTI Undersecretary for consumer welfare Zenaida C. Maglaya was baffled as to the increasing prices of pork when August is a lean month and still far from the peak season in December.

The current situation might compound the high demand of pork come December, she said.

“Importation is always a standby option but for now we have to determine the farm gate price for live and dressed hogs because the last time that prices of pork went up to P170 to P180 per kilo, the DA came out with a statement that prices should be only at P150 and that forced prices to come down,” Maglaya said.

Albert Lim, president of the National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc., said that there is no way that prices can be generalized and vary depending on the location. “The price of pork in Marikina is at P140 per kilo and one can haggle up to P135 even,” Lim said.

The current farm gate price of P90 to P92 per kilo from the commercial hog farms and P85 from backyard hog producers, Lim said.

“It is good if the price in Metro Manila can go down to P140 to P150 per kilo, but we really cannot control price because we are not under price control,” he said. Retail prices of pork also depend on the middle men and traders, he said.

Lim added that August is a slow month and there is nothing to worry about supply shortage.

According to Lim, he has been meeting with DA to ensure them that there is enough supply of hogs even for the high demand season in December.

The DA was worried about a possible shortfall in supply of hogs in Luzon in the fourth quarter but Lim said that Mindanao, particularly General Santos has excess supply and has been shipping hogs to Manila and Cebu. Negros hograisers are also supplying Cebu.