THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Monday that prices of lowland vegetables are expected to remain elevated due to the consecutive typhoons that traversed key farming areas this month.
“The price of vegetables remains elevated, especially for lowland vegetables, because the (vegetable growing) areas have been affected by typhoons,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Arnel V. de Mesa told reporters at a briefing.
The Philippines has logged six typhoons entering its Area of Responsibility in November, according to the government weather service, known as PAGASA.
The latest storm to hit the country was Super Tyhoon Man-Yi (Philippine name: Pepito).
“After typhoons, vegetable prices immediately increase about 10% to 15%; right now they are consistently high,” he added.
According to DA price monitors in Metro Manila market as of Nov. 15, the price of bitter gourd (ampalaya) was as high as P200 per kilo, string beans (sitaw) P160 per kilo, Chinese cabbage P140, squash P80, eggplant P220, and tomatoes P230.
A month earlier, bitter gourd prices topped out at P140 per kilo, string beans P100, Chinese cabbage P120, squash P70, eggplant P130, and tomatoes P170.
Mr. De Mesa said that among the affected lowland vegetable growing areas were Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, Central Luzon, and Quezon, Laguna, and Batangas provinces.
“Region 3 and the Southern Tagalog have been hit hard by the typhoons. So most likely the prices for vegetables will remain high,” he added.
According to a DA bulletin, the initial agricultural damage inflicted by typhoons Toraji (Nika) and Usagi (Ofel) was estimated at P248.47 million on lost volume of 8,504 metric tons.
The most affected commodity group was high-value crops, with lost volume at 5,946 MT, valued at P97.72 million. — Adrian H. Halili
