DA notes easing prices of basic foodstuff as of mid-November

Prices of basic foodstuff such as rice, meat, fish and vegetables have generally improved as of the middle of this month, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The DA prices of at least 14 basic foodstuff sold in  bagsakan or drop-off centers across Mega Manila have stabilized or even gone down than in regular retail outlets.

DA assistant secretary Salvador Salacup assured that the agency continues to ensure adequate supply of prime commodities at affordable prices in the run-up to Christmas.

Based on the Nov. 18 monitoring report of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), Salacup said that the price of regular milled rice, for example, has remained stable at P30 a kilo — and has even fallen to as low as P23 in certain markets — from P35 three months ago.

The price of refined sugar has, likewise, fallen this month to P36 a kilo from P38 during the past three months and from P40 per kilo in November last year, Salacup said.

The price of chicken, he said, has remained stable at P120 a kilo over the past three months, while the price of choice pork cuts like liempo and kasim have fallen to the P150 to P160 range from the previous levels of as high as P170 to P180 a kilo.

The price monitoring was conducted by the BAS’ Metro Manila Operations Center or MMOC.

Salacup said the price of galunggong has remained constant at P100 and alumahan at P120 a kilo since a year ago, while the price of tilapia is at P80 a kilo.

The per-kilo price of vegetables have dropped from their month-ago levels by as much as P10, Salacup added. 

He said the  price of sitao fell from P45 a month ago to P40 a kilo; eggplant from P40 to P30; cabbage from P40 to P35; and ampalaya from P60 to P50.

A kilo of carrots, which previously  cost P60, now sells at only P50, while the per-kilo price of potatoes remained stable at P60 and pechay at P40, he said.

Meanwhile, Gregorio San Diego and Bong Inciong of the United Broiler Raisers Association (UBRA) have assured the National Price Coordinating Council of adequate supply of chicken for the Christmas season.

He noted that the broiler industry is even clamoring for a lower retail price of P110 per kilo to boost consumer demand and lead to a faster turnover of their stocks at the farm level.

Salacup said the prevailing prices of most basic commodities in all 393 stalls combined in 14 bagsakan centers in the metropolis are even lower than those monitored by the BAS in regular markets.

The 14 bagsakan centers are found in Commonwealth Market, Rublou Market Place, CI Market, Mutya ng Pasig, Maypajo Market, Kadiwa, Pritil, Muntinlupa, Mega-Q Mart, Marikina, Bacoor, Meycauayan and Carmona.

In most of these bagsakan stalls, Salacup said,  the average per-kilo price is  P110 for chicken, P145 for pork liempo and P140 for pork kasim.

He said the favorable price trend in urban markets is partly a result of the continued DA effort to mobilize support among the various agriculture industry sub-sectors for a freeze on price adjustments ahead of the yuletide season.