The Department of Agriculture (DA) is considering the imposition of a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) on garlic and eggs as market prices remain stubbornly high.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel recently conducted a market inspection at Mega Q Mart in Quezon City, in which some garlic prices were found to be within the ₱140 to ₱150 per kilo range.
The ideal price range, he said, should be between ₱100 and ₱110 per kilo.
“The declared landed cost of imported garlic is around ₱80 per kilogram, and in some cases, there are instances of undervaluation. A margin of ₱40 to ₱50 per kilo seems excessive,” said Laurel.
The DA chief has since ordered a comprehensive review of the factors behind the price increases in garlic. He said profiteering could be one of the culprits.
The proposal to impose an MSRP on garlic has been under discussion within the agency, but it was placed on hold after the price earlier dropped to around ₱100 from a peak of ₱160.
Notably, the peak price of ₱160 is double the landed cost of imported garlic.
According to the DA, around 95 percent of garlic in markets were imported.
Laurel said the proposed MSRP for garlic will remain “on standby” given current prices that should be between ₱100 and ₱110 per kilo.
"But if prices spike again, we will definitely implement an MSRP,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, the DA is also monitoring the prices of eggs to ensure that they don’t rise to “unreasonable levels.”
The rising demand due to election spending and increasing chicken mortality due to higher temperatures were cited as factors behind recent price fluctuations.
Based on DA monitoring, egg prices are within the ₱6 to ₱8 range. This is contrary to reports that eggs have gone up to ₱10 to ₱12 each.
Laurel said there are ongoing suggestions to implement an MSRP on eggs; however, he said there needs to be a consultation with stakeholders first “so as not to shock the industry.”
Currently, the DA has an MSRP for imported rice and pork.
The price limit on rice went down to ₱45 per kilo last week amid the decline in global rice prices.
Meanwhile, for pork, the agency has set an MSRP of ₱380 per kilo for liempo (belly) and ₱350 per kilo for kasim (shoulder) and pigue (ham).