Prices of eggs up
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00:00 Due to the spread of bird flu and African swine fever, some traders have already raised
00:05 the prices of eggs in the market.
00:07 Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department's solution is to take over the responsibility
00:12 of bird flu vaccine to address concerns related to egg production and prices.
00:17 Clayzel Pardilia tells us more.
00:22 Riza went early to this egg trading store at the Pagumpagasa market, hoping to buy eggs
00:28 at a lower price.
00:31 "Sometimes I buy eggs for 8 pesos or 8.50 pesos.
00:37 Now it's more than 10 or 9.50 pesos.
00:40 Pesos are more expensive than eggs.
00:43 If I add up the price, it's more than the price of buying another egg."
00:44 The Department of Agriculture Price Monitoring shows eggs jumped from 6 pesos and 80 centavos
00:50 to 8 pesos and 50 centavos in October.
00:54 The cost of eggs went up to as high as 9 pesos and 50 centavos today.
00:59 Wilson's bake shop and cafe bore the brunt of the huge price hike of eggs.
01:05 And it was left with no choice but to make some price adjustments on some of its most
01:10 sought-after products during the holiday season like cakes and pastries.
01:15 "Every cake we sell, our round cake, we only raised it by 50 pesos.
01:20 Before, it was 55 pesos for a pack.
01:24 Now, it's 65 pesos.
01:26 This January, February, we only had 110 eggs.
01:32 Now, it's not even Christmas, we have 220-230 eggs."
01:38 "Last year, we had a bird flu in Batangas and then we had a shortage of eggs.
01:44 That's why we had to bring eggs during Christmas season because our daily supply of small size
01:51 eggs, 100-200 eggs, was only enough for us to bring 50 eggs daily."
01:57 "The bird flu, we had a shortage of eggs.
02:01 We had 9-10 eggs a year.
02:04 So, we had a shortage of supplies.
02:07 Some of the eggs didn't hatch because there was no vaccine for the bird flu."
02:17 The Philippine Egg Board revealed some egg producers are resorting to use smuggled avian
02:24 influenza vaccines hoping to prevent bird flu.
02:28 As of press time, the DA released the guidelines on using the AI vaccine.
02:33 However, the Food and Drug Administration has yet to release an authorization to use
02:38 for the bird flu vaccine.
02:40 "What is the protocol if there is no vaccine?
02:43 The request for the AI vaccine has been going on for a year.
02:47 Our neighbors are using it."
02:49 Agriculture Usec D.V. Savellano assured they are in close coordination with the FDA to
02:55 prevent the sale of smuggled vaccines online.
02:59 To control the spread of the bird flu, Savellano sought assistance from Executive Secretary
03:04 Bersamin and requested to get the sole responsibility of vaccination for animals under the agency's
03:11 jurisdiction.
03:12 The FDA regulates all vaccine products for emergency and commercial use.
03:17 Should the appeal of the DA be granted, the DA will fast-track the entry and distribution
03:23 of legitimate AI vaccines.
03:26 The DA believes the skyrocketing cost of eggs is just temporary.
03:31 Savellano, who focuses on the department's livestock concern, also said they are exerting
03:36 efforts to bring down the price of eggs, one of which is reducing production costs.
03:43 In Western Visayas, closed sugar plants were converted to corn farts.
03:48 Maize is a main feed ingredient for animals.
03:51 Should the price of corn drop, the prices of eggs will eventually follow suit.
03:57 Khaleza Pardilia for The Nation!
04:00 the nation.