MANILA — The Department of Agriculture will pilot test a 'tracing system' which will give retailers a 'card' containing information about the hogs they are selling.

The cards will contain information about the farm of origin, the traders, the transporters, and other levels of the logistical chain. The DA said this will improve tracking along the value chain to better ascertain retail prices.

Batangas hog raisers prep for ASF vaccination

"Parang card kung saan malalaman, kailangan ilagay saan binili yung baboy, saan, sino biyahero, saan dinala ng slaughterhouse, from the slaughterhouse, sino yung kumuha papunta sa retail, at sino yung retail. Kumbaga susundan yung baboy," Agriculture spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said. 

(This will be a card where we will know the source of the hog, who transported it, which slaughterhouse it came from. It will follow the value chain of the pig.) 

This new initiative is in response to lower compliance of pork traders in the Maximum SRP set by the agency. In a meeting with stakeholders on Friday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr said he is baffled as to the low compliance rate on the MSRP.

"So, inihayag ni Secretary yung kanyang disappointment doon sa seemingly mababang level of compliance despite the agreements with all the stakeholders. Yung mga plano kapag hindi pa rin masusunod, possibly magkaroon ng Quinta Committee hearing," 

(Secretary expressed his disappointment in the low level of compliance despite the agreements with stakeholders. If the plans aren't followed, there might be a Quinta Committee hearing again.)

Higher power, fish, meat prices may affect March inflation: Bangko Sentral

Pork prices remain above the MSRP in some markets especially in Pasay and Manila.