Manila, April 1 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) is considering the imposition of a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) on garlic to prevent possible profiteering, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said.

In a news release on Tuesday. Tiu Laurel said the proposal to impose an MSRP on garlic has been under discussion, but was placed on hold after the price per kilo dropped to around PHP100, down from a peak of PHP160.

The higher price was double the estimated landed cost of PHP80 per kilo.

Imported garlic accounts for 95 percent of the market supply, with significant volume being sourced from China.

"Since the price has fallen to around PHP100 a kilo, we had to hold back. I think the current price is reasonable given the...