DA blamed for garlic price spike

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) was blamed yesterday for the 700-percent increase in garlic prices during the first half of this year.

During the House appropriations committee hearing on the agriculture budget for next year, Rep. Antonio Tinio of Alliance of Concerned Teachers said the DA and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) had “created the conditions in which smuggling and profiteering could flourish.”

He said Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and his BPI appointee, director Clarito Barron, should be held responsible for the unprecedented increase in garlic prices.

Tinio said Barron, with Alcala’s approval, drastically reduced the volume of garlic importation despite the fact that local production was not increasing.

“The resulting shortage forced prices to shoot up from about P60 per kilo to as much as P400 per kilo. Traders raked in billions in profits due to the artificial shortage,” he said.

Citing figures from the DA itself, Tinio told the appropriations committee chaired by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab that between 2008 and 2011, the country was importing garlic ranging from 70,000 to 89,000 tons.

During that period, he said local production fluctuated between 9,500 and 11,300 tons.

But in 2012, Alcala and Barron reduced garlic importation by less than half to 35,700 tons, while local produce went down to 8,400 tons, Tinio said.