Rice prices up between P.50 to P2

CEBU, Philippines - Prices of commercial rice have increased between P.50 to P2 per kilo based on the monitoring of the prices of commercial rice sold in three major markets in Cebu by the National Food Authority 7.

Lucy Rosales, NFA 7 Information Officer, said that prices of Ganador rice, a premium rice, has increased between P1 to P2 per kilo while prices of well-milled rice has increased by 50 centavos per kilo.

NFA 7 conducted interviews among rice retailers in the public markets of Lapulapu City, Mandaue City and T. Padilla in Cebu City yesterday.

But Rosales explained that the prices of commercial rice this year and in the same period last year is basically the same.

“Pareho ra ang prices karon compared to the same period of last year,” Rosales told The Freeman.

She added the increase in prices of commercial rice is expected as it is already off-harvest season.

But Rosales assured that Central Visayas has more than enough supply of NFA rice and its price remained at P27 per kilo.

“We have more than enough supply of NFA rice for the next five months,” she said.

Rosales said that in case Central Visayas will suffer insufficiency of rice, NFA-7 has a stand-by authority to purchase rice from Region IV, which is a rice producing region. — (FREEMAN)