The Filipino Department of Agriculture is puzzled by the increase in the retail prices of vegetables, particularly those coming from Baguio City, as their farmgate prices are relatively low. Agriculture deputy spokesman Rex Estoperez: "We are baffled. We were expecting that the prices of vegetables would go down in Metro Manila.” He added that traders attributed the higher prices of agricultural products to the high cost of fuel, handling and other expenses. "We hope that the prices of vegetables will be reasonable, especially this Christmas where there is a slight increase in the prices of commodities.”
Based on the monitoring of the DA on Wednesday, the retail prices of cabbage ranged from P140 to P150 per kilo; carrots, P100 to P120 per kilo; potatoes, P140 to P150 per kilo; pechay, P100 to P120 per kilo; and Baguio beans, P80 to P100 per kilo.
Estoperez vowed that the DA will go after syndicates behind the hoarding of red onions that triggered the unabated increase in the retail prices of the product that has reached P340 per kilo.
[ P1 = €0.017 ]
Source: manilatimes.net