BACOLOD CITY – Average prices of meat, particularly pork and chicken, have yet to stabilize in Negros Occidental even as the price cap in Metro Manila is expected to affect the wet market prices in the province.
This week’s monitoring of Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) showed that prices are still high for at least third consecutive week, with pork now averaging at P225.10 per kilogram, P20.34 higher compared to P204.76 last week.
Dr. Renante Decena, provincial veterinarian, said on Wednesday that local meat vendors still have previous orders with high live weight price, which is still reflected in the current average prices.
He added that some backyard raisers also hold on their supply, waiting for prices to increase as the live weight price has already gone down to P125 to P150 per kilogram.
“Let’s see the result in the coming days on how traders and buyers will strategize and how the market will react,” Decena said as the price ceiling took effect on Feb. 8.
Also, the prevailing average price of chicken is now at P182.96 per kilogram, which is higher by P23.51 compared to the previous week’s P159.35.
In its monitoring, the PVO also noted an increase of P3.43 in the price of carabeef (carabao meat) from P264.40 per kilogram last week to P267.83 this week.
The prevailing average price of beef is P280.95 from the previous P274.45, with an increase of P6.50 per kilogram while P8.00 increase was observed in the price of chevon (goat meat) from P329.33 last week to P337.39 per kilogram this week. (PNA)
