CEBU, Philippines - At the Cebu City’s Carbon Public Market, one whole dressed chicken is sold at P125 to P130 from the normal P120. Various chicken cuts are bought at P140 to P150 per kilo.
“Ingon ang mga suppliers namo nga nihit gyod kuno ang supply sa manok mao nang misaka gamay ang wholesale price sa manok,” said 50-year-old retailer Nenite Libres. A piece of whole chicken is bought from suppliers at P123.
Dahlia Dumdum, another chicken seller, said: “Sukad nisaka ni weeks ago, wa gihapoy pag-ubos kay mahal man gihapon gud ang wholesale price sa manok. Mao na di pud mi kapa-ubos sa presyo sa among mga baligya.”
Dumdum, 41, said consumers have recently been limiting their consumption of chicken because of high cost.
In some supermarkets, one whole chicken is priced at P130 while prices of chicken cuts range from P140 to P155.
Despite the drop in farm gate prices of chicken, retail prices of the goods are still high. Farm gate costs are normally lower because these exclude charges of storage, marketing, transport, handling and profit margins.
On the other hand, prices of lean pork and pork belly range from P190 to P200. The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics said farm gate price of live hogs has also dropped.
"Naay pagsaka gamay sa presyo sa baboy kay mipasaka man pud diyotay ang among suppliers," said 49-year-old Gloria Aquino, meat retailer at the Carbon Market.
The Philippine Statistics Authority said high food prices were mainly responsible for the 4.9 percent inflation last month.
Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry has already approved SRP adjustments for candles, coffee and vinegar products.
The department is going to release the new list of SRPs by end of the month. (FREEMAN)