Maharlikan Times

Pork, chicken prices seen to rise by P5 per kilo by April

MANILA, March 7 --With the damage to corn crops brought by drought due to El Nino, the prices of pork and chicken are expected to go up by P5 per kilo by April and May, Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP) Rep. Nicanor Briones said on Sunday.

      Speaking at the Balitaan sa Tinapayan news forum in Sampaloc, Manila on Sunday, Briones said corns and rice are usually being used for feeds to chicken and pigs.

    He said the agricultural sector has already suffered P11-billion losses since the drought started ravaging farmlands that included fishponds.

    Briones said that presently, at least P5-billion worth of rice and another P6-billion worth of corn or a total of P11 billion have been destroyed from 14 provinces nationwide, the hardest hit were the northern provinces like Isabela and Tuguegarao.

    Aside from these areas, Briones identified the provinces of Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblom, Masbate, Antique, Guimaras and Negros Occidental as "hotzones" and virtual wastelands.

     “Because of drought triggered by El Nino, more crops are expected to be damaged,” he said.

    The Department of Agriculture (DA) has earlier estimated the the losses to reach P20 billion or more even before the El Nino is over.

     “The prices of corn increased by P3.50 per kilo and since the corn is being used as feeds for pigs and chicken, the prices of pork and chicken may increase this April and May,” he said.

     Briones also called on the government to address the problem of smuggling of agricultural products, including fish, chicken, pork and vegetables which also aggravate the problem.

      He was echoing the suggestion of former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director Ralph Recto to suspend the Barangay Election slated this coming October for some "meaningful" projects for the country.

Briones also recommended the release of "supplemental funds" to boost the P3.2 billion budget for the barangay.

"The funds from the Barangay Election coupled with supplemental funds can help alleviate the sad economic state of our farmers because their crops were destroyed by the El Nino phenomenon. The government should act now before its too late," Briones said.