PRICES of pork in major public markets in Davao City have remained steady, starting at P340 per kilo as of Monday, April 7, 2025, following a series of minor price shifts in recent weeks.
According to the latest monitoring by the Department of Agriculture-Davao Region (DA-Davao), this marks a decrease of P20 per kilo compared to last week’s price, which ranged from P370. This is also a P10 decrease from the P380 per kilo recorded on March 24, 2024.
In an interview with a long-time vendor at the Bankerohan Public Market, who requested anonymity, he explained that they had been increasing prices for profit but still adhered to the DA’s standard local price.
"We used to sell it at P340, but now it’s P350. It’s a small increase, but that’s just how it is now,” he said in the vernacular.
Meanwhile, another vendor, offering pork belly at a slightly higher price of P380 per kilo, mentioned doing so to recover losses and generate profit.
Despite the current price stability, vendors expressed concern over sluggish sales.
"Sales are really slow, especially on Mondays and Tuesdays," said a long-time meat seller. "Even if the prices don’t move much, people just don’t buy as much early in the week. Fridays to Sundays are when sales are really high."
On a separate note, the prices of essential goods in Agdao Market, particularly pork, and eggs, continue to fluctuate depending on supply and economic conditions.
According to traders in Agdao, pork prices have increased due to a limited supply from farms and slaughterhouses.
Diane, a pork vendor for seven years, stated that there is now a significant difference in pork prices compared to previous years.
"Before the pandemic, pork was only P180 per kilo, but now it has reached P340 to P380. Pork belly is now P400 per kilo, while casim and pork chop are P350 per kilo," Diane said.
She said last December, prices were still at P320, but this year they have increased to P350.
After Ash Wednesday, the demand for pork has significantly decreased, especially as Holy Week is approaching. Prices are unlikely to rise as most people refrain from eating pork during this time.
As pork prices continue to rise, egg prices have also increased by P7 to P10 depending on the sizes and supply.
Egg prices have recently risen due to increased demand, especially with the start of classes, up between P7 and P10 per piece. A tray of eggs now costs around P255 to P285.
Amidst these price changes, traders in Agdao public market continue their business while consumers seek the most affordable options for their daily needs.
Previously, the DA central office stated that retail pork prices might begin to drop in the middle of March.
DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa told national reporters that the high prices, which reached as much as P480 per kilogram in February, could be considered the peak before gradually easing. "We can see na bababa. Iyong last na agreement ng pag-uusap ng agri stakeholders sa hog industry na dapat bumaba ang presyo (The last agreement upon the meeting with agricultural stakeholders of the hog industry included the drop of prices)," he said. Even without setting a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork, De Mesa stated that prices should drop by at least P10 to P20.
As of April 2025, DA-Davao has reported no new outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Davao City. The ASF-related activity in the Davao Region occurred in late 2024.
The number of active ASF cases nationwide slightly increased toward the end of December 2024, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry’s (BAI) tally.
In a report, the BAI stated that 21 provinces in 11 regions had active ASF cases as of December 2024, but Davao Region and Davao City were not included in the list. Aliah Trica C. Marciano and Charish Jane B. Gellor, HCDC Interns, and Cine Grace Languay, DOrSU Intern