Pork Prices Expected to Drop in March as Supply Recovers – DA

The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that pork prices are expected to decline this March following an agreement among hog industry stakeholders to lower costs.

Farmgate Prices Decreasing

DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa stated that farmgate prices of pork have already started dropping, paving the way for lower retail prices.

🔹 Previous farmgate prices: ₱250 – ₱260 per kilo
🔹 Current farmgate prices: ₱220 – ₱240 per kilo

This reduction is expected to bring down pork prices by ₱10 to ₱20 per kilo at the production level.

Retail Pork Prices Showing Slight Decline

The DA’s latest monitoring shows:

🔹 Pork ham: ₱350 – ₱420 (down from ₱370 – ₱430)
🔹 Pork belly: ₱375 – ₱480 (previously ₱380 – ₱480)

Factors Behind the Expected Price Drop

1. Increasing Hog Production – The industry is gradually recovering from supply shortages.
2. ASF Vaccine Rollout – The anticipated release of the African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine at a commercial level is expected to boost hog production further.

While the DA has not yet officially imposed a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) on pork, De Mesa noted that prices will likely follow a gradual decline, similar to the recent trend in rice prices.