DA: No price spikes in Metro Manila after Ruby

MANILA, Philippines – No price hikes were seen in most farm commodities in major Metro Manila markets following Typhoon Ruby, based on the latest price monitoring of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

As of Tuesday, December 9, the DA Agribusiness Marketing Assistance Service (DA-AMAS) reported that prices of meat, eggs, vegetables, and fish remained stable from the previous week.

“We are glad that the effect of [Ruby] in NCR (National Capital Region) is not severe. This is because major production areas (for major farm commodities) were hot hit badly,” said Leandro Gazmin, DA Assistant Secretary and AMAS said.

Mostly unchanged

Based on DA-AMAS monitoring Tuesday, the per kilogram (kg) price of liempo (pork belly) at P200 ($4.49*) was unchanged from last week.

The price of chicken was also unchanged at P140 ($3.14) per kg, and medium sized egg at P5 ($0.11) per piece.

Prices of kasim (pork shoulder) at P180 ($4.04) per kg fell by P5 ($0.11) per kg compared with prices last week.

The average price of medium-sized bangus (milkfish) at P110 ($2.47) per kg and tilapia at P100 ($2.25) per kg remained unchanged from quotations the previous week.

Prices of vegetables that were unchanged since last week are as follows:

• Carrots – P60 ($1.35) per kg
• Tomatoes – P40 ($0.90) per kg
• Onion – P60 ($1.35) per kg
• Potatoes – P50 ($1.12) per kg
• Pechay (bokchoi) Baguio – P40 ($0.89) per kg
• Chayote (christophene) – P20 ($0.45) per kg
• Imported garlic – P80 ($1.80) per kg
• Ginger – P120 ($2.70)  per kg

Increases, however, were seen in the prices of other vegetables such as habichuelas (beans) P60 ($1.35) per kg and eggplant P60 ($1.35) per kg rose by P20 ($0.45) per kg from the previous week.

Prices of vegetables such as ampalaya (bitter gourd) at P60 ($1.35) per kg; string beans P60 ($1.35) per kg; cabbage P60 ($1.35) per kg; and native pechay P50 ($1.12) per kg rose by P10 ($0.22) per kg compared to quotations last week.

Prices for latundan (silk) banana variety remained at P50 ($1.12) per kg from the previous week while prices of calamansi at P60 ($1.35) per kg rose by P10 ($0.22) per kg from the previous week.

On the other hand, some farm products may increase prices attributed to seasonality factor.

“But the price markup should not be more than 5%,” Gazmin said.

Gazmin said that the department continues to monitor prices in major trading posts in Metro Manila.

As of December 8, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), meanwhile, already put in effect a price freeze in areas already declared under state of calamity following Ruby’s aftermath.

Prices should be at the same level before the state of calamity was declared. – Rappler.com

*$1 = P44.51