DA ensures adequate food supply during holidays  

MANILA, Philippines — There will be enough food supply during the holidays with the expected increase in demand in the “ber” months, Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Deogracias Victor Savellano said yesterday.

In a poultry forum in Quezon City, Savellano said local stakeholders gave assurance that they could meet the increased consumption of pork, chicken and eggs during the Christmas season.

Savellano said sufficient supply would ensure that there would be no abrupt increase in retail prices this holiday season.

He said that while he could not control the retail prices of agricultural products, he wanted to ensure a steady supply of farm commodities during the ’ber months.

“If there is a problem in the supply, it is expected that retail prices will also increase so if we have enough supply, if there is a movement (in retail prices) it is minimal,” Savellano said.

He said efforts are being made to unify the data used by the DA and the local agriculture industry.

“I am asking them (livestock and poultry raisers) to come up with a position paper. They are the ones who experience (the problem of over importation). We need to see the data to be used as a basis on the volume needed to be imported and the volume of production so that we will determine if there is a need to import or not,” he said, adding he is coordinating with Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos in gathering data for the agriculture sector.

Egg prices up

Retail prices of eggs have increased amid a drop in the production after the onslaught of typhoons Egay and Goring, according to the Philippine Egg Board.

United Broiler Raisers Association chairman and Philippine Egg Board chief Gregorio San Diego said the farmgate price increased between P0.15 to P0.20 per piece, noting that egg producers have no control in the spike in retail prices.

“The retail prices have increased, first because of the problem last year. There was a drop in the farmgate price… all suffered losses, that is why many small egg producers lessened their production because of the losses they incurred and after that because of the typhoons, the damage was big, especially in Ilocos,” San Diego said.

The DA earlier reported that Egay and Typhoon Falcon left P386.45 million worth of damage to the livestock and poultry sector. The southwest monsoon, enhanced by typhoons Goring and Hannah, left P10.42 million worth of damage to the sector.