DA seeks other vegetable sources to avoid price spikes

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is looking for alternative sources of vegetables to supply Metro Manila’s requirements to prevent the further rise in commodity prices.

In a briefing on Saturday, Agriculture Undersecretary Kristine Evangelista said the higher prices of vegetables was ikely due to the impact of Typhoon Maring on agricultural areas, especially in Northern Luzon, which is a major producer of vegetables.

“In the case of vegetables, we can see that the movement of the price is an effect of the damaged produce. Definitely the yield was lessened because it was hit by the typhoon. The price point of vegetables will increase because the logistical costs will remain the same, but the volume that will be brought to the market is less,” Evangelista said in Filipino.

Evangelista emphasized, however, that there are other sources of vegetables aside from  Northern Luzon.

She identified Central Luzon as a potential source of vegetable supply for the Metro Manila market.

Evangelista said the DA is currently focused on looking for alternative sources of vegetables for the Metro Manila market.

“So basically, we are augmenting from different regions to make sure that the price of vegetables will not move that much for our consumers,”Evangelista said.

Latest price monitoring data from the DA showed that the prevailing price of white potato in Metro Manila markets increased to P100 per kilo last Friday from P80 per kilo a day before, while a kilo of string beans also rose to P80 per kilo from P70 per kilo.

The prevailing price of cabbage stood at P100 per kilo, while the price of Baguio Beans amounted to P100 per kilo.

Damage to agriculture caused by  Maring reached P1.74 billion as of Saturday, according to the DA’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operation Center.

The agency said 56,718 farmers and 68,137 hectares of agricultural areas in the Cordilleras, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Soccsksargen were affected by the storm, with production loss at 91,422 metric tons (MT).

Rice accounted for 77.97 percent of the damage, with 58,956 hectares affected. Volume loss was at 78,592 MT valued at P1.4 billion.

Corn accounted for 7.49 percent of the damage, with 7,351 hectares affected and volume loss of 7,402 MT worth P130.6 million.