FILE PHOTO: A stall at Baguio City public market offers newly harvested vegetables from farms in Benguet province. —ALLAN MACATUNO
MANILA, Philippines — Prices of certain vegetables have increased by P10 to P40 a kilogram in Metro Manila following the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae).
In a Laging Handa briefing Thursday, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista said the volume of vegetables brought to trading posts had decreased, affecting the supply and retail prices of vegetables in Metro Manila.
“Sa ngayon, based on our monitoring, nakita po natin ang ating highland pati lowland vegetables, ‘yung mga dinadala po sa trading post na siya namang dinadala dito sa Metro Manila, nag-decrease po ‘yung volume pero unti-unti naman pong bumabalik sa normal,” Evangelista said.
“As of now, based on our monitoring, we see that the volume of highland and lowland vegetables brought to our trading posts which are then transported to Metro Manila has decreased. But it is slowly going back to normal.)
During the briefing, Evangelista said the smallest increase in prices was P10 a kilo, adding that there were those that increased by P20 to P40 a kilo.
Evangelista, who did not specify the vegetables affected, said she was hoping that the volume of vegetables transported and their prices would return to pre-typhoon levels as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Trade Assistant Secretary Claire Cabochan assured communities affected by Paeng that there was sufficient supply of prime commodities in their areas.
Cabochan noted that retailers were observing the price freeze that was put in place in areas hit by the calamity.
Agricultural damage due to Paeng was placed at P2.4 billion.
—Kristelle Anne Razon, INQUIRER.net