MANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is planning to bring back the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork by July or August, in a bid to help consumers cope with rising prices.  

"Yun ang target natin sa pork, ibalik yung MSRP ng pork by end of July or early August. But it depends no, it may be delayed a little," DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said on the sidelines of an inspection of smuggled sugar on Thursday.  

"We have to set up 38, in the 38 Metro Manila public markets, we have to set up the booths, the freezer systems, the trucks, we need drivers everything. Once that is in place, then we will launch and we will declare," he added.

Tiu Laurel said the MSRP will remain at P380/kilogram for liempo, while P340 to P350/kilogram for pigue and kasim.  

The DA chief said the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) will step in and act as the “middleman” between the farm and retailers, where the spike in costs usually take place.  

FTI is a government-owned and controlled corporation under the agriculture, fisheries and food sector.

"Technically wala naman kaming lugi dito eh. Pwede pa naman kumita yung FTI habang binababa yung presyo ng pork. One month na namin ginagawa na bumibili kami direct from the farm... Kami na nagpapakatay, nagdadala sa retailer tapos yung retailer may margin din siya. Parang pumasok kami as the middleman na hindi kumikita," he explained.

The DA chief said the profit margin for retailers will range from P30 to P50 per kilogram.  

Tiu Laurel bared they requested funds from Malacañang for the 'massive' rollout.

"Ang mangyari naman is para mapalawak itong programa na ito, I requested P500 million sa Malacañang. It's on process. But sa initial na ginagawa namin ngayon, may sariling pondo naman yung FTI," he said.  

"Tingin ko that is a standby money in case we need it. I'm thinking of something na hindi kailangan i-subsidize eh ng gobyerno na sustainable siya. Kasi ang laki ng margin ng gitna," Tiu Laurel added.

When asked where the FTI will get the initial volume of 150,000 metric tons (MT) of hogs, Tiu Laurel said they are eyeing Pampanga and Tarlac.  

"It will create competition. That's the, if we compete with other retailers, dapat bumaba ang presyo. We're creating competition," he said.

Tiu Laurel said the 150,000 MT would be sufficient for Metro Manila until January. 

Last May 15, the DA withdrew the MSRP for pork following the request of industry players who struggled to comply with the price guidance due to the surge of African Swine Fever cases.