Vegetable prices remain high amid holiday demand

MANILA, Philippines — Retail prices of vegetables remained high amid the increase in demand during the holidays and the lingering effect of successive typhoons in the country.

Tomatoes reached as high as P300 per kilo and bell peppers as high as P1,000 per kilo, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Based on DA’s monitoring, aside from tomatoes and bell peppers maintaining their high prices, broccoli’s retail price also remains at a steep P400 per kilo; carrots, P240 per kilo; eggplant, P160 per kilo; string beans, P160 per kilo; potatoes, P175 per kilo; bitter gourd, P160 per kilo; onion, P160 per kilo; squash, P70 per kilo; garlic, P200 per kilo and ginger, P260 per kilo.

Meanwhile, the retail price of whole chicken reached P250 per kilo; pork, P380 per kilo; beef, P500 per kilo and medium-sized egg, P9 per piece.

Other prevailing prices monitored by the DA include refined sugar, P90 per kilo and palm oil, P120 per liter.

The country was devastated by six tropical cyclones in just 23 days, including Kristine, Leon, Marce, Nika, Ofel and Pepito.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Arnel de Mesa has assured the public of enough supply of pork, chicken and beef until the New Year celebration.

“For meat, we don’t see any problem. They (producers) assured us that the production and supply are good and we don’t see any problem with the volume of meat, whether it is beef, chicken or pork,” he said.