Friday, August 24, 2007

Steady Prices For Most Commodities In Aklan


By Venus G. Villanueva
Despite the long, dry spell that affected most parts of the country including Aklan, supplies of most commodities in local markets in Kalibo, Aklan, especially vegetables and fish were not affected. Most prices remained the same as of last month’s.
Based on the Monthly Price Monitoring Report on Agricultural-Based Commodities/Products for the month of July released by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), Kalibo, Aklan 49 items of the 93 items listed in the price monitoring report did not increase in prices. Thirty-two (32) items increased by 10 percent while 7 items decreased in prices.
The data on prices were gathered from the different public markets in Aklan, compiled and computed in a weekly average price formula to arrive at the monthly average prices ranges.Market items which prices remained the same include vegetables, root crops, sea foods, livestock and poultry, processed foods, animal/poultry feeds, and sugar.
Clean, dry palay, according to the report, increased in farmgate price from P12.50 per kilogram in June to P14.00 per kilogram as of this writing.
NFA milled rice is fixed at P18.00 a kilogram while special milled rice, cost P28.00 to P30.00 per kilogram in June, is now priced at P25.00-P29.00. Ordinary milled rice which could be bought last June at P24.00 to P26.00 per kilogram could be bought now at P23.00 to P24.00 per kilogram. Fancy/aromatic rice cost P35.00 to P45.00 last June, but now, the price is placed at P35.00 to P48.00 per kilogram.
Mr. Delano Tefora, Provincial Agriculturist, assured that all commodities listed in the price monitoring report are readily available in public markets in Kalibo and neighboring towns.
Tefora said, "Aklan is not affected too much by the long dry spell that pervaded in some parts of the country because of rains that dropped at night in Aklan, so vegetable products in Aklan are abundant with no noted prices increase, except those which are sourced outside the province, like cabbage, carrots and sayote.
Rice farms, although late, are already 99 percent planted, according to Tefora. By September when harvest time comes, prices of rice are expected to go down.
In other parts of the country like Luzon, the dry spell problem appears to be soon eliminated, as the rains brought by tropical storm Chedeng and Dodong have increased the water levels in dams by a few centimeters. However, the rains brought by the storm were not substantial to break the dry spell earlier PAG-ASA forecast that the rain to normalize by September. But, it did not materialized as typhoon Dodong brought more floods and now, Central Luzon and other parts of the country are over flooded and devastated with typhoon Egay now rampaging the Luzon provinces. /MP

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