Farmers’ group decries high vegetable retail prices

MANILA, Philippines — A farmers' group yesterday decried the high retail prices of upland vegetables in Metro Manila markets even after farmgate prices in the Cordilleras  have gone down.

Rosendo So, chairman of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, said the wholesale price of cabbage in Benguet now ranges between P5 and P8 per kilo, but the  retail price in Metro Manila is P90 per kilo.

Based on the latest monitoring of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the retail price of cabbage in the National Capital Region ranged between P60 and P90 per kilo.

So said the wholesale price of carrots went down to P25 to P30 per kilo, yet its retail price is at P60 to P130 per kilo.

The wholesale price of broccoli also went down to P40 per kilo.

“We see that the prices of vegetables have normalized,” So said as he confirmed an oversupply of tomatoes.

He cited a video showing the dumping of at least four tons of tomatoes in the Cordilleras.

“Tomatoes are sold between P5 and P10 (per kilo) in (Nueva) Vizcaya. Our (wholesale) price of tomatoes is also low at P8 to P10  per kilo,” So said.

Data from the DA showed the retail price of tomatoes remains high, between P30 and P100 per kilo, despite an oversupply.

So urged local government units (LGUs) to draft a plan that would prevent an oversupply of tomatoes and other farm commodities.

“The plan of the LGUs should  be fixed. We talked to (Agriculture) Secretary (Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.). By January, he will address the planting calendar so that this incident will not happen again,” So said.

He said the wholesale price of tomatoes had reached as high as P90 per kilo, which prompted more farmers to plant the farm product.