Vegetable prices up by as much as P10

CEBU, Philippines - Vegetable prices have risen by as much as P10 due to limited supply reaching the city's public markets, vendors said.

Traders at the Carbon public market in Cebu City told The FREEMAN yesterday vegetables are currently in short supply reportedly because of transport woes brought about by the damaged Dumlog Bridge in Sibonga town in southern Cebu.

“Not much supply of vegetables arrived here from the south,” vendor Adilaida Deguma, 62, said in Cebuano. “We, retailers, are really catching up to the goods that arrive in the market.”

A kilo of squash is now selling at P15 from P10 before; white squash at P25 from P15; gabi at P30 from the previous P20. Moreover, a kilo of okra is sold at P60 from P50 per kilo; alugbati at P35 from P25 before; and talong at P45 from P35 previously.

An earlier report said the Provincial Agriculture Office noted more than 50 percent decrease in crop supply in southern Cebu. Typhoon Seniang, which hit the province late last month, damaged crops estimated at P7 million. PAO predicted it would take three to four months for the affected agricultural lands to recover unless another calamity would hit the province.

Deguma said buyers are apparently cutting their vegetable consumption due to the current high costs.

Seller Naome Lauta, 35, said: “Igo-igo ra man gyud ang supply nga niabot dinhi sa Carbon mao na nga taas diyotay ang presyo.”

Majority of vegetables sold in the city come from the mountain place of Busay in Cebu City and south towns Dalaguete, Argao, Alcoy, Boljoon, etc.

Since January 16, traffic in southeastern towns has normalized after the public works agency installed a temporary steel bridge in Dumlog which is usually passed through when farm products from the south are transported to the city. Prior to that, the bridge was impassable after it collapsed due to the storm's heavy floods.  (FREEMAN)