MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Tuesday maintained that consumers have benefitted from the reduction of tariff rates on pork imports.
At a House hearing, Agriculture secretary William Dar presented the effects of Executive Orders (EO) 133 and 144, which increased the minimum access volume for pork and adjusted the tariff rates on pork imports, respectively, on the prices of pork products in local markets.
He said the prices of frozen kasim and pork ham are now at P220 per kilogram, while frozen pork belly or liempo is now at P250 per kilogram.
“We largely attributed this to EO 133 and 134, which reduced pork import tariff and increased pork imports allocation to bring down pork prices,” Dar told the lawmakers.
On the other hand, DA director for Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service, Dr. Ramon Yedra, said the prices on local pork produce have also “dropped.”
Based on DA’s survey last Monday, Yedra said the price of pork kasim now ranges from P300 to P330 per kilogram compared to its previous price, which ranges from P340 to P350.
The price of liempo is now at P360 from the previous price at P370 and P400 last January.
“We are gradually attaining [the objective of the EO] because of the decline, the prices of fresh pork [are] gradually declining,” Yedra added.
Furthermore, according to DTI undersecretary Ruth Castelo, they were given accommodation by frozen meat importers to sell the products at lower prices because of the lowering of tariff rates.
The Trade department has launched a program called “Presyong Rasonable Dapat” on frozen meats, which offered pork belly at P250 per kilogram, ground pork at P200 per kilogram, and pork kasim for P220 to 230 per kilogram.
“Just for emphasis on the point of consumer protection, the lower tariff has benefitted the consumers. At least now, they can get more items with more money that they have,” Castelo said.
The claims of DA and DTI were contrary to the statement of Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura last July 9.
The group said the reduction in tariff rates for pork imports did not benefit the government and consumers as pork prices remain elevated.
They issued the statement after the Department of Finance reported that the government incurred P1.356 billion in foregone revenues due to lower tariffs for imported pork from April to June.(GMA News)
