Storms, Monsoon Fuel Price Hikes for High-Value Crops and Fish in Philippines

PRICES of high-value crops and fish have increased due to flooding and damage caused by recent tropical cyclones and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat), the Department of Agriculture (DA) said. Speaking on the sidelines of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) budget hearing at the House of Representatives last week, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. told reporters that vegetables saw a significant jump in prices. Mr. Laurel added that fish prices also increased after fisherfolk were confined to shore during the storms and the monsoon. Mr. Laurel said pork remained stable. He said prices normally stabilize after three weeks or a month. Damage to high-value crops caused by the storms and the monsoon was valued at P1.37 billion, while damages to fisheries amounted to P412.84 million, according to the DA’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center. — Marron Joshua F. Mendoza