Prices of sili reach P550 per kilo, other vegetable prices increase

The prices of vegetables went up on Tuesday in some wet markets, going up by as much as five times as before, according to reports on Dobol B sa News TV.

At the Marikina Public Market, the price of siling labuyo and siling haba or pangsigang reached P550 per kilo, according to Super Radyo dzBB reporter Mark Makalalad.

Both vegetables were selling for only P80 to P100 per kilo before.

Other vegetable prices also went up at the Marikina Public Market:

• ampalaya: from P80 per kilo before to P180 per kilo
• cabbage and petsay: from P60 per kilo before to P120 per kilo
• potatoes and eggplants: P110 kilo at present

Meanwhile, at the Balintawak Market, siling labuyo was being sold at P400 per kilo on Tuesday. It used to fetch only P80 to P100 per kilo.

Other vegetables are being sold at these prices at Balintawak Market:

• siling pangsigang: from P60 to P80 per kilo before to P500 per kilo
• carrots: from P40 to P50 per kilo before to P120 per kilo
• sayote: from P20 per kilo before to P50 per kilo
• kangkong: from P5 per bundle before to P10 per bundle
• potatoes: from P40 per kilo before to P60 per kilo
• calamansi: from P30 per kilo before to P40 per kilo

Back in April this year, at Kadiwa markets, siling pangsigang was being sold at P50 per kilo, while siling labuyo was at P100 per kilo. At the Munoz and Commonwealth markets at the time, siling labuyo fetched P200 per kilo.

Vendors at Marikina Public Market said the supply of vegetables is not enough to meet demand, driving up prices. 

The recent typhoons Rolly and Ulysses have damaged some farms in Central and Northern Luzon where the vegetables are sourced, thus affecting prices.

DA inspection

Meanwhile, at the Guadalupe Market in Makati City, officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) discovered that siling pangsigang and siling labuyo were being sold at P600 per kilo, according to a report by Tina Panganiban-Perez on Balitanghali on Tuesday.

Vendors said they got these at P500 to P520 per kilo from their suppliers.

Some vendors decided not to sell sitaw, eggplant, okra and ampalaya in the meantime after prices tripled.

The prices of chicken, pork and fish, on the other hand, were within the suggested retail price (SRP) at Guadalupe Market.

Vendors raised the concern to DA officials that their profits have gone down since they could not pass on to consumers the increase in the cost from their suppliers.

DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista said farmers' cooperatives which are part of the Kadiwa project of the department can bring their produce to markets.

Vendors and administrative officers of Guadalupe Market agreed to this and said they can then get their supplies from the cooperatives.

The DA also checked on a supermarket and found that it was selling pork within the SRP.

The supermarket promised not to raise its prices. —KG, GMA News