Manila: To ensure stable prices of poultry products, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is now studying the imposition of a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for imported chicken. The move aims to help consumers enjoy reasonable prices during the 'ber' months when demand for meat traditionally rises, as explained by DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa during a phone interview.

According to Philippines News Agency, the DA's plan is to implement MSRP for imported pork products in August, followed by poultry products, specifically chicken, in September. As of Wednesday, the price of a whole chicken in Metro Manila ranges between PHP220 and PHP250 per kilogram, according to DA-Bantay Presyo.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel emphasized that imported chicken should maintain lower prices than local varieties. "Just to be clear to everyone, imported chicken should be cheaper. And it shouldn't be masked as local chicken," he conveyed in a Viber message to the Philippine News Agency.

The MSRP for imported chicken is still under discussion, with computations ongoing to determine the value chain for imported products. "There's no MSRP price for chicken yet as we are computing the value chain for imported chicken. But we will have no MSRP on local chicken," Tiu Laurel stated.

In addition to chicken MSRP, the DA is also considering setting MSRP for fish, including salmon head, belly, and other cultured fish, to ensure fair pricing across various food products.