(File photo)

QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- The prices of vegetables are expected to increase as Christmas draws near due to demand increase, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

During Tuesday's Laging Handa public briefing, DA deputy spokesperson Rex Estoperez said they have received information that prices of some vegetables have gone up, which he said is a normal occurrence during the Holidays.

“Mayroon kaming impormasyon na iyong atin pong mga gulay, galing doon sa northern area, nagtaasan din, lalung-lalo na sa panahog natin sa pansit. Pero base doon sa information natin, bumaba na rin po iyong presyo dahil sa dami ng supply rin doon sa mga area na iyon. So we’re expecting na sana naman na ang atin pong mga gulay na ‘yan na kailangan natin sa Pasko ay ang presyo din dapat reasonable din (We have information that our vegetables from the northern area have also increased, especially those used as ingredients for the Filipino noodle dish. But based on our information, prices have also dropped because of high supply. So we're expecting that the prices of our vegetables that we need for Christmas should also be reasonable),” Estoperez said.

Vegetables normally used as ingredients for the noodle dish include cabbage, carrot, celery, pea pods, onion, and garlic.

In a report by the Philippine News Agency, as of the Dec. 13 price monitoring watch by the DA, cabbage is sold at P140 per kilo, or P20 higher than the day before; carrots remained at P100 per kilo; onions still at P300 per kilo; and imported and native garlic likewise unchanged at P100 and P250 a kilo, respectively.

The per kilo prices of potatoes and tomatoes dropped by P10 at P130 and P90, respectively. 

Estoperez said vegetables coming from upland Baguio should not be priced beyond consumers’ reach.

“Pero naglilitanya po iyong ating mga retailer. May binabayaran silang ganito, may binayaran na gasolina, iyong handling, iyong tubig, iyong puwesto. Iyon ang litanya nila (But our retailers are complaining – they pay something for this, they pay for fuel, for handling, for water, for the place – those are their complaints),” Estoperez explained.

He said market administrators should help the DA and local government units monitor prices. (PIA-NCR)