DA-imposed pork MSRP struggles at Trabajo Market

Four days after the Department of Agriculture implemented a Maximum Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for pork on March 10, 2025, retailers at Trabajo Market in Manila are struggling to comply.

Rizza Tabas, a pork retailer at Trabajo Market, expressed difficulty in adhering to the MSRP due to high capital costs and farmgate prices ranging between P355 and P405 per kilogram.

Tabas suggested that instead of imposing price caps on retailers, the government should work with hog raisers and middlemen to lower farmgate prices.

Consumers like Joel Gonzales are also facing challenges as their daily grocery budgets no longer cover family needs due to rising market prices.

The DA stated that the MSRP for pork was established after consultations with industry stakeholders, but recent price monitoring shows minimal changes in other meat products and vegetables in Metro Manila.