ye7 DA addressing high chicken, egg prices
MANILA, Philippines — Efforts are being done by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to address the high retail prices of chicken and eggs amid complaints from poultry raisers that the drop in farmgate prices does not reflect retail prices in the markets.
“Agriculture is such a huge bureaucracy and department with so many commodities involved, but Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel will address this in due time,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesman Arnel de Mesa said.
United Broiler Raisers Association chairman emeritus Gregorio San Diego has said that the farmgate price of chicken has dropped to P80 per kilo, but the retail cost is as high as P220 per kilo amid low demand.
San Diego added that broilers are suffering losses of up to P50 per kilo as the production cost has reached between P105 and P110 per kilo.
Based on monitoring of the DAye7 in Metro Manila markets, the retail price of whole chicken ranged between P150 and P220 per kilo.
San Diego also said that the farmgate price of eggs has decreased to 50 centavos per piece but the retail price remains high.
The retail price of medium-sized eggs ranged between P8 and P9 per piece.
Fish price controlMeanwhile, De Mesa said the DA would not implement price control on fish after the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas asked the department to control the spike in the retail cost of fish in various markets.
“We are not recommending price control. The 30,000 metric tons of imported fish has started to arrive amid the closed fishing season,” De Mesa said.
Based on monitoring of the DA, the retail price of round scad or galunggong ranged between P200 and P320 per kilo; tilapia, P110 and P180 per kilo, and milkfish, P150 and P220 per kilo.