‘Small quantity’ of vegetable imports under study

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Thursday it is looking to import limited quantities of vegetables due to price rises following the consecutive typhoons that hit the country this month.

“We are seeing that we need to import a small quantity of white onions… carrots, tomatoes, and broccoli,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. told reporters on the sidelines of an event organized by the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Inc.

Mr. Laurel, however, said the DA has yet to determine the specific volumes it will allow for import.

“There are no final figures yet. But it is being studied by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI),” he added.

Mr. Laurel has ordered the BPI and the High Value Crops office to monitor prices and supply of vegetables to aid in any decision to intervene in the market.

The DA said the increase in vegetable prices was caused by production losses after six consecutive typhoons hit key vegetable growing areas.

Among the affected areas were Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Quezon, Laguna, and Batangas.

Assistant Secretary and Spokesman Arnel V. de Mesa said vegetable imports typically service demand from the hotel and restaurant industry, while processed vegetables are brought in by food manufacturers.

According to DA price monitors in Metro Manila markets, as of Nov. 20, a kilogram of carrots sold for as much as P230, tomatoes P230, broccoli P470, and white onion P140.

A month earlier, carrots sold for as much as P160 per kilo, tomatoes P180, white onion at P140, and broccoli P570. — Adrian H. Halili