The Department of Agriculture (DA) said prices of rice and vegetables may increase by 15 to 20 percent due to the damage brought by severe tropical storm Karding in Central Luzon’s agriculture sector.
DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said at the Laging Handa public briefing yesterday palay due for for harvest in Nueva Ecija were lost due to strong winds.
Panganiban said the DA does not see a big shortage in rice and palay supply next year as the country only needs to maintain a buffer stock for 60 days.
“There will not be a big shortage… of rice and palay. For next year, we need to have a buffer stock of 60 days to fill the needs of our countrymen if there will ever be a shortfall,” Panganiban said.
The agency said the outlook as of September 15 or before Karding indicates a a total annual rice supply at 17.36 million MT against a total annual demand of 15.14 million MT for an ending stock of 2.23 million MT equivalent to 60 days.
This early, the DA also targets a production volume of 20.24 million MT of palay next year which is said to be driven by the effects of the higher rice program budget that will complement the rice competitiveness enhancement fund implementation.
Initial cost of damage to the agriculture sector of typhoon Karding is now at P2.02 billion, according to latest data from DA’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center.
Bulk of Karding’s recorded damage is from rice at P1.66 billion, followed by high value crops at P271.6 million, corn with P43.6 million, fisheries at P43 million and livestock and poultry at P7.9 million.
Based on DA’s monitoring of 13 public markets in the National Capital Region, prevailing retail prices as of Wednesday for imported rice, special variety is at P50 per kilogram (kg); premium at P45 per kg; well-milled at P40 per kg; and regular milled at P38 per kg.
Meanwhile, for local rice, special variety is at P50 per kg; premium at P45 per kg; well-milled at P40 per kg; and regular milled at P38 per kg.
As for lowland vegetables, ampalaya is at P100 per kg; string beans and pechay Tagalog at P80 per kg; squash at P50 per kg; eggplant at P90 per kg; and tomato at P120 per kg.
For highland vegetables, cabbage, white potato and pechay Baguio is at P80 per kg; sayote at P40 per kg; Baguio beans at P100 per kg; and carrots at P140 per kg.
However, Panganiban claims that they still do not see a big shortage in terms of rice and palay supply next year as the country only needs to maintain a buffer stock for 60 days.
“We think that there will not be a big shortage in terms of rice and palay. For next year, we need to have a buffer stock of 60 days in order to fill the needs of our countrymen if there will ever be a shortfall,” Panganiban said.
DA through the National Rice Program, reported that this year’s local palay production can reach up 19.5 million metric tons (MT), despite global challenges that include the increase in prices of fuel and fertilizer, among other inputs.
