Vegetable prices going down - DA

MANILA, Philippines - Retail prices of vegetables and other basic food items have reportedly started going down in Metro Manila, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Although most retail prices have still to return to pre-storm levels, substantial price drops for vegetables have been monitored by the DA in several markets.

“Prices of cabbage scorpio, carrots, pechay Baguio and white potato went down by as much as P70 per kilo, while the price of chayote has dropped by as much as P30,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup said.

At one supermarket in Metro Manila, however, baby carrots sold at P169.95 a kilo while cabbage scorpio was tagged at P100 a kilo yesterday.

The DA has been sourcing goods from alternative sites, even as far as Mindanao. Deliveries from traditional sources in Northern Luzon that were isolated last week as a result of the typhoon-induced heavy flooding and landslides have also been restored..

According to Salacup, suppliers from Quezon, South Cotabato and General Santos have delivered over seven metric tons (MT) of assorted vegetables to Metro Manila outlets like the Oriental (Balintawak), Commonwealth and Mega Q-Mart markets in Quezon City.

Assorted vegetables have also been delivered to various Metro Manila markets from Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Batangas and Quezon.

Although average prices are still higher than the levels before the onslaught of tropical storm “Ondoy” or typhoon “Pepeng,” Salacup said there has been a significant drop in per-kilo rates, and the declining price trend is expected through the coming week as the DA, together with private suppliers from north to south, continue to augment the supply of basic foodstuff in the metropolis.

“Retail prices of highland vegetables such as carrots, cabbage rareball, cabbage scorpio, white potato, sayote and pechay Baguio continued to decline from previous levels,” Salacup said.

Anakciano Inc. started operating a DA-subsidized stall in Oriental Market last Thursday. It is selling pork kasim, pigue and pork chop at P150 per kilo, liempo at P155 a kilo and fully dressed chicken at P123 per kilo. 

Negotiations with Cainta Public Market is ongoing for the delivery of five to 10 pork carcasses per day, while suppliers from Pangasinan are set to deliver bangus and tilapia to the same outlets at a rate of five to seven MT every three days, Salacup said.

Rombe Philippines is set to deliver fresh chilled pork cuts to the Barangay Bagsakans with estimated volume of two metric tons per week.

A two-ton refrigerated van in Commonwealth Market was installed as the depot for the pork.

Anakciano started delivery of fully dressed chicken to Barangay Bagsakans in Quezon City.

The Barangay Bagsakan in Barangay Pag-Asa serves as the depot for the 100-kilo requirement of the their three outlets in Quezon City (Pag-Asa, Magsaysay, UP). The volume is estimated to increase in the next days to cover chicken requirements of Barangay Bagsakans in other areas.

Such supplies are on top of the deliveries of highland vegetables to wet markets and bagsakan centers in Metro Manila following the limited reopening this week of the Naguilian and Kennon Roads and Marcos Highway.

Eighty-nine trucks coming from the La Trinidad Trading Post in Benguet have already delivered almost 1,500 MT of vegetables. Thirty of those trucks unloaded their goods in Metro Manila markets, while the other 59 trucks went to other provinces, Salacup said.