The Department of Agriculture (DA) does not expect a retail price increase in rice, even with the agricultural damage caused by tropical cyclones Crising, Dante, and Emong, as well as the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat).
“Sa bigas hindi natin nakikita na magkakaroon ng pagtaas dahil hindi naman ganoon karami ang nasira at marami tayong stocks sa ngayon,” DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday.
(We don't see a price increase in rice because not that much has been damaged and we have plenty of stocks right now.)
“Karamihan, partially damaged at early vegetative stage pa lamang, ibig sabihin madaling marekober ang mga tinamaan sa sektor ng palayan,” de Mesa said.
(Most are partially damaged and still in the early vegetative stage, meaning those affected in the rice sector can easily recover.)
The DA-Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center reported that the damage in rice, corn, cassava, high-value crops, fisheries, livestock and poultry, and agricultural infrastructure has ballooned to P1.12 billion with a volume of production loss at 26,566 metric tons (MT).
The weather disturbances affected 45,408 farmers and fisherfolk and 43,741 hectares of agricultural areas in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, and Soccsksargen.
Rice is the most affected commodity, with the value of production loss standing at P664.36 million.
It was followed by fisheries with losses amounting to P202.35 million, high-value crops at P162.16 million, corn at P55.70 million, livestock and poultry at P8.37 million, and cassava at P1.98 million.
However, de Mesa said vegetable and fish prices may increase by “10% to 15%.''
Metro Manila will likely be most affected by the price increase, if it happens, he said. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
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