Resto owners eye buying local amid food raw materials shortage

Some restaurant owners in the country are considering going local for their raw material needs amid disruption of local supply due to lockdowns abroad and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

According to Bernadette Reyes’ report on “24 Oras” on Wednesday, restaurant owners raised concern that problems with the supply of raw materials are hampering their business.

“Some say naiipit sa importation. May mga ibang dati naming suppliers na nahihirapan mag-provide (ng raw materials). So, we have to look for an alternative,” Kris Tangco, a restaurant owner said.

(Some say there’s a problem with the importation. Other suppliers say they experience difficulties in providing the raw materials. So, we have to look for an alternative.)

The Association of International Shipping Lines (AISL) said that supply chain issues have been aggravated by the current surge of COVID-19 in China and prolonged Russia-Ukraine war.

“Yung mga barko ngayon, naghanap yan ng ibang pagdalahan ng container. It will go to smaller ports, and then ‘yung mga smaller ports na ‘yun magbabara rin ‘yun,” Patrick Ronas, president and chairperson of AIASL, said.

(The ships are looking for other ports to unload the containers. Some will go to smaller ports, which experience clogging as well.)

“No import space or looking for a cheap shipping line to actually carry that--dun sila nahihirapan kasi shipping lines are working on backlogs on booking,” he added.

(No import space or looking for a cheap shipping line to actually carry that—it’s where they are having difficulties because shipping lines are working on backlogs on booking.)

Ronas pointed out that the government could help speed up the process in the ports to lower the cost of raw materials.

“Makikipag-agawan na tayo sa kanila ng presyo. So kapag nakipag-agawan tayo ng produkto sa kanila at kapag tumaas ‘yung presyo ng krudo na binabayaran nila, tataas din ang presyo ng trucking at ganoon din ang barko,” he added.

(We will compete with them for the price. So, when we compete for a product with them and when the price of crude oil they pay goes up, the price of trucking goes up and so does the shipping cost.)

Meanwhile, the Restaurant Owners of the Philippines Association (ROPA) noted that they are proposing to use the harvested goods produced by the local farmers.

“Let’s see what they can produce in abundance and craft suggestions to develop items using this available produce. So, even if you take a few items off the menu, you can add on some things na available naman dito sa atin [that are available in our country],” ROPA president Eric Teng said.

“I know some bakers, for example, they will specify American or Japanese strawberries… they can look up sa Philippines strawberries ngayon [for Philippines strawberries for now],” he added.

Some restaurants who cannot raise prices are likely to make adjustments in the serving portion of their products.

“There’s still alternative and pagdating naman sa cost sometimes [and when it comes to cost sometimes], it becomes prohibitive and therefore we are sometimes saddled whether to keep it in the menu, to reduce portions or to raise prices,” he stressed.

The DA earlier warned of a looming food crisis, brought about by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy, rising fuel prices, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Nakikita natin at marami na ring mga eksperto ang nagsasabi na there is a looming food crisis. Tayo naman…ay handa tayo…Itong second semester of the year, nakikita na ninyo ang pagtaas ng presyo ng inputs, kaunti ang mabibili sa global market,” DA Secretary William Dar said.

(Many experts are saying there is a looming food crisis. In the DA, we’re ready.  In the second semester of the year the public will see the rise in prices of inputs, fewer supply will be in the market.)—Mel Matthew Doctor/LDF, GMA News