Prices of highland vegetables going down — DA exec

Prices of highland vegetables are going down thanks to more favorable weather conditions, an official of the Department of Agriculture said Thursday. 

Based on the latest price monitoring of the Agriculture Department, prevailing price of broccoli now stands at P180 pesos per kilo from P200 pesos a week ago. Meanwhile, potato prices have also gone down with prevailing price now at P140 pesos a kilo from the previous P160. 

Agriculture Aassistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa, DA spokesperson, said this is largely due to weather in areas where these vegetables are grown.

"Maraming bumaba kagaya nitong highland vegetables ...'yun 'yung karamihan ng bumaba. 'Yung patatas, yung broccoli. yung cauliflower. Tapos na kasi yung panahon na may andap yung sobrang lamig. Ito yung tamang lamig na kailangan ng mga highland vegetables para mag produce nang marami," De Mesa said.

(The prices of highland vegetables have gone down. Potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower. The period where it's too much cold is over. Now we have just the right one needed by highland vegetables for higher production.) 

Lowland vegetables

Meanwhile, prices of lowland vegetables such as tomatoes and onions are also going down. 

From P145 per kilo a week ago, the current prevailing price of tomato is now at P120. The prevailing price of local red onion is at 176.67 per kilo from P180 a week ago. 

"'Yung kamatis, ang laki na rin nang binaba. Bagamat lowland ito hindi highland. From P160 to P180, ngayon P120 to P140 na yung kamatis, bagamat mataas pa yan.  Ngayon ay dry season na. Dahil seasonal ang kamatis, pag-nag start na ng maraming harvest ng kamatis, bababa yan," De Mesa said. 

(The price of tomatoes has also gone down. From P160 to P180, now it's P120 to P140. And because tomatoes are seasonal, once the harvest increases, the price will still go down.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News