Vegetable prices remain on uptrend

MANILA, Philippines — Prices of vegetables are still on an upward trend despite earlier assurance from the Department of Agriculture (DA) that prices would normalize this week.

In a recent radio interview, Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal (NVAT) general manager Gilbert Cumila said the wholesale price of farm products, particularly tomatoes, at NVAT has increased, as few farmers planted in March due to the oversupply.

Cumila added that farmers were also forced to stop spending for fertilizer due to high costs, resulting in a decline in harvest.

Many traders in various provinces in Luzon also go to NVAT to source their vegetables, contributing to the increase in wholesale prices, according to the food terminal official.

“The farmers did not spend for farm inputs, that’s the reason why the wholesale price of tomatoes went up,” he said.

He added that the wholesale price of squash at the trading post at NVAT has also increased.

He said that the wholesale price of lettuce at the NVAT has also increased to between P200 and P250 per kilo.

The retail price of lettuce in Metro Manila has doubled to P400 to P450 per kilo.

Based on DA’s monitoring, retail prices of tomatoes ranged between P45 and P75 per kilo, and for squash, between P25 and P60 per kilo.

Evangelista earlier said retail prices of vegetables are expected to stabilize this week after a P20-per-kilo increase last week amid rains experienced in many areas in the country.

She added that the upward trend in the prices of farm products happened as many vegetable farms were affected by rains as Typhoon Chedeng enhanced the southwest monsoon.

Based on the DA’s monitoring, the highest retail price of cabbage in Metro Manila markets last Friday reached P120 per kilo compared with the highest retail price of P100 per kilo a week prior or last June 9.

The retail price of carrots had also increased by P20 per kilo as of Friday after it reached as high as P120 per kilo compared with P100 per kilo seven days ago.

The retail price of chayote also increased by P7 per kilo last Friday compared with the P80 per kilo a week ago.

Kadiwa stores

The National Housing Authority (NHA) is planning to open Kadiwa stores in government resettlement sites.

In a statement, NHA assistant general manager Alvin Feliciano, who met with DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista yesterday to discuss the matter, said the plan is part of NHA general manager Joeben Tai’s vision to provide affordable food as well as livelihood to beneficiaries of the government’s housing program.

The NHA is also planning to distribute seedlings to those who are interested to pursue urban gardening, according to the agency’s official.

He added that the NHA aims to pilot-test the Kadiwa store at one resettlement site by next month before its replication in other resettlement areas nationwide.

Rice price hike

A rice watchdog group yesterday reported that there was a P50 increase in the 50-kilo per sack price of the staple, causing a P1-per-kilo increase in the retail prices in Metro Manila markets.

In an interview with The STAR, watchdog group Bantay Bigas spokesperson Cathy Estavillo said the rice stocks are in the hands of the millers and traders as the palay harvest already ended amid these lean months.?

“Based on our monitoring, a retailer from Nepa Q-Mart (in Quezon City) said there was an increase. The increase ranged between P30 and P50 per 50-kilo-sack,” she said. – Elizabeth Marcelo