INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines- An agricultural industry alliance vowed to keep the prices of farm gate prices of basic food and agricultural commodities down despite the effects of super typhoon Yolanda to farming.
For the past week, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) has been releasing price guides from farms and explained that farm gate prices are typically lower than the retail price since these prices exclude transport, handling, storage, marketing and profit margins.
Around 30 agricultural and livestock groups under SINAG said damage to the agricultural sector is minimal and will have no immediate impact on the supply of basic food and agricultural commodities.
Despite the magnitude of super typhoon Yolanda, SINAG Chairperson Rosendo So said that there is enough supply of agricultural products and have been stable for the past three weeks, way before Yolanda made landfall in Central Philippines.
According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), typhoon damages amounted to about P6.88 billion.
However, SINAG explained that P2.23 billion from the DA estimates accounts to 133,000 of palay or four days of national consumption.
“Naka-harvest na ang karamihan ng rice farmers natin, from Luzon to Mindanao, even before Yolanda struck the country,” said So.
“For the past four weeks until yesterday (Wednesday), palay farm gate prices remain the same, around P21.50 to P22 per kilo,” added Jjie Co of Philcongrains and one of the leaders of SINAG.
According to Dan Javellana, chair of the National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc., the P443.47 million damage to livestock, according to DA, represents less than one percent of the gross value of the industry.
Interagency efforts
Meanwhile, SINAG urged the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to distribute immediately the confiscated food and other essential products from the latter agency.
According to So, Davao BOC confiscated about 200,000 bags of smuggled rice, several construction materials and used clothes last October.
The group also urged the BOC to donate an additional 90 containers of smuggled rice seized earlier at the Subic Freeport in Zambales to “Yolanda” victims.
SINAG also called on the Food and Drug Administration and National Meat Inspection Service to conduct safety measures on confiscated items prior to their release.
Other products like heavy-equipment, construction materials and trucks should also be released.
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