00:00When the Department of Agriculture signed that the problem of increasing the price of pork in the market is not with the retailers,
00:07Vel Custodio went back to the details.
00:13The Department of Agriculture, Pork Retailers and other stakeholders agreed that the maximum suggested retail price of pork should not exceed the price of pork in the market.
00:24The request of pork producers and retailers is not to use MSRP.
00:29So I said, it's okay if there's no MSRP as long as you all agree that we can give our consumers a better price, right?
00:38But I told them that if we can't get the right price fair to all parties, then we might have to issue an MSRP.
00:48The cost structure will be investigated first from the pork producer to the retailer to see the reason for the increase in the price of pork.
00:55Food Terminal Incorporated, or FTI, is also considering buying pork from local producers to directly distribute to pork retailers to reduce the layers in the supply of pork.
01:06The DA confirmed that the problem of increasing the price is not with the retailers.
01:10If not with the retailers, the MSRP will be issued.
01:14DA Secretary Francisco T. Laurel Jr. mentioned that the maximum wholesale farm gate price will also be considered.
01:21The DA is also studying the sale of pork to serve as an option at a cheaper price, just like the concept of the Rice for All program of the President's Diwan.
01:29We will talk with the pork industry players, from the travelers, to the retailers, to the producers.
01:35I promised them that they will return to the DA with their comments on what can be done with the price of pork.
01:45If the discussion is good, then there's no need.
01:50But if we feel that what we are asking for is not enough to lower the price, the government will be forced to intervene.
02:07The pork industry can now recover from the effects of the African Swine Fever, which was the cause of the high price.
02:14According to the report, there are only 68 active ASFs, lower than more than 500 cases in the third quarter of 2024.
02:21There are also no active ASFs in Batangas.
02:24The DA's target is the commercial release of the Avac vaccine on the first week of April.
02:29From People's Television Network, Vel Custodio, Balitang Pambansa.
