The country’s frozen pork inventory as of April 26 fell by 5.5 percent to 24,273.5 metric tons (MT) from the previous month’s 28,862.84 MT, latest National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) data showed.
NMIS data also showed that the latest figure was slightly lower than the previous week’s 27,463.4 MT inventory. Data also showed that the bulk of the frozen pork inventory, or about 25,318.48 MT, were imported, while the remaining volume of 1,955.02 MT was locally produced.
Data from the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA) showed that the frozen pork inventory as of April 26 was 35 percent lower than the 41,909.51 MT recorded last year.
NMIS noted that the data only covers inventory in accredited commercial and in-house cold storage, which include slaughterhouses and meat processing plants.
The low pork inventory is an indication of the extent of the pork shortage in the country. The DA’s latest price monitoring report indicated that the price of fresh pork has reached as much as P400 per kilogram.
Consumers who are looking for a cheaper alternative may avail of frozen pork in select Metro Manila wet markets. Frozen pork is 25 percent cheaper than fresh pork, according to the DA.
The DA price monitoring report showed that frozen pork liempo and kasim/pigue are now being sold in at least six Metro Manila markets as of May 4.
DA data showed that frozen pork kasim/pigue are being sold for P235 per kg to P270 per kg, or at least 30 percent lower than the price of fresh pork. Frozen pork liempo is being sold for as low as P275 per kg to as high as P300 per kg, or at least 23 percent lower than the price of fresh liempo.
NMIS data also indicated that the country’s dressed chicken inventory as of April 26 grew by 7.8 percent to 25,238.98 MT from 23,419.67 MT in the week of April 19.
The latest inventory was also 36.6 percent higher than the 18,477.69 MT recorded last March 29.
NMIS data showed that more than half of the dressed chicken inventory or about 14,916.04 MT were imported while the remaining 10,322.94 MT were locally produced.
Proposals
Two economist-lawmakers on Wednesday called for the immediate passage of the proposed Affordable Pork Act of 2021 and the proposed Animal Biosafety Act.
Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said they are pushing for House Bill 9256 or Affordable Pork Act of 2021 and House Bill 9265 or the proposed Animal Biosafety Act, respectively, as latest inflation figures highlight the urgent need for policies that can help bring down commodity prices.
“The PSA [Philippine Statistics Authority] today [Wednesday] announced an inflation rate of 4.5 percent for April 2021. The main contributor continues to be the inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages, which made up 40.9 percent of the overall inflation. This was driven mainly by the inflation in meat, such as pork [with the rate of] 22.1 percent,” Quimbo said.
“Last week, I filed House Bill 9256 or the Affordable Pork Act of 2021 to authorize the government to directly procure pork meat for purposes of price stabilization in times of emergency such as this.”
At this point, Quimbo said, local production is struggling due to African swine fever (ASF).
“Hog raisers need to be able to sell at a price that’s reasonably high enough for them to recover costs. At the same time, we need to bring down retail prices for consumers. Government can provide temporary support and ‘buy high’ from producers and ‘sell low’ to consumers. It can ensure that prices are fair and competitive by temporarily bringing supply directly to the market,” she said.
“But government intervention through procurement should only be done on a temporary basis, during this state of emergency.”
To improve the resilience of the local pork industry in the longer term, the bill also earmarks funds for measures against ASF and to develop the industry’s productive capacity, which will ensure that local hog raisers can withstand competition from cheaper imported meat.
“I call on my colleagues in government to support these measures. Inflation has been averaging a high 4.5 percent from the start of the year to present, but we can very well act swiftly to stabilize commodity prices moving forward. We cannot have a situation where income has fallen and prices have risen. We need economic stimulus to raise income levels and emergency procurement by government to stabilize prices,” Quimbo said.
The proposed Affordable Pork Act of 2021creates the pork competitiveness enhancement fund and to authorize the President to directly procure pork in times of emergency.
The bill also provides that all tariff revenues from pork imports for the next 6 years shall be earmarked towards a swine competitiveness enhancement fund (SCEF).
As meat remains the major contributor to inflation, especially food inflation, decisive action is now needed, Salceda said.
“We need long-run investments in biosafety, better feeding, and value-chains for the domestic pork industry. But long-run solutions take time. I have proposed measures to expand crop insurance for livestock, invest in biosafety facilities, and develop value chains for agriculture. But for now, immediate supply stabilization via a balance of imports and domestic supply management is the key,” the lawmaker from Bicol said.
Salceda also called on the DA to help small players, farmer groups, and the domestic swine industry participate in the import market.
“I support their effort to distribute freezers to small players. We must also have a mechanism to allow farmers’ cooperatives to import pork meat by consolidating smaller import orders.”
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