Food prices remain stable despite hike in input costs
Retail food prices remain relatively stable despite higher farm input costs caused by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
There were price increases in imported rice as well as local beef and pork, but monitoring by the DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service showed that most alternative protein sources, including chicken, eggs, fish, and vegetables, have either held steady or declined as of April 13.
“Based on our latest data, prevailing retail prices remain generally stable and are still fair and justifiable relative to farmgate prices, despite rising fuel costs,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra said in a statement over the weekend.
Despite minor retail price adjustments, Velicaria-Guevarra said the DA would continue to monitor key agricultural products to ensure stable retail prices of basic necessities and prime commodities across markets nationwide.
New EO expected
The DA said earlier that President Marcos is expected to sign an executive order imposing a price ceiling of P50 per kilogram by end-April as current prices are deemed unreasonable, with some bordering on profiteering.
The DA’s price monitoring showed that imported rice (regular milled, well milled, premium and other special varieties) ranged from as low as P42 per kg to as high as P65 per kg as of April 17.
On Feb. 27, just a day before the onset of the Middle East crisis, market vendors in Metro Manila were selling imported rice between P36 and P65 a kilo.
Beef brisket was priced at P380 to P520 per kg, higher than P360 to P500 per kg. Beef rump was sold for P430 to P580 per kg, an increase from P420-P550 per kg.
Frozen pork shoulder cuts (kasim) retailed for P210 to P280 per kg, unchanged from late February. Frozen pork belly (liempo), meanwhile, was slightly down to a range of P280 to P350 per kg as opposed to P290 to P350 a kilo.
Whole chicken was sold for P140 to P240 per kg, also slightly lower than P145 to P240 per kg previously.
Prices of some fish products were mixed, with milkfish (bangus) still ranging from P175 to P280 per kg. Prices of sardines (tamban) remained at P100 to P160 per kg.
Prices of local round scad (galunggong) were significantly lower at P140 to P300 per kg compared with P320 to P390 per kg.
Meanwhile, the DA’s price monitoring revealed that eggplant (talong) was priced at P30 to P100 a kilo, a decrease from P60 to P90 per kg.
Squash (kalabasa) was slightly higher at P40 to P80 per kg from P30 to P90 per kg earlier.
Prices of local red onion declined to P55 to P180 per kg, from P70 to P150 per kg. Imported red onion stood at P70 to P100 a kilo, also higher than P60 to P180 per kg.
Local white onion was priced at P50 to P120 per kg, falling from the price range of P50 to P160 per kg. As for imported white onion, the selling price ranged between P90 and P100 per kg, as opposed to P80 to P160 per kg.
On Saturday, Malacañang distributed for free hundreds of kilos of vegetables that President Marcos bought during a trip to Benguet on Friday.
Local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila received the loads of agricultural products that the President bought at the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center in La Trinidad town.
Quezon City and Pasay City were among the first LGUs to receive the goods, followed by communities in Caloocan City, Navotas and Malabon City.
The initiative is part of the national government’s ongoing efforts to provide food support and help farmers by sourcing produce directly from agricultural areas such as Benguet.
