DA briefs House on prices of goods
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) advised the House Committee on Trade and Industry on Monday on farmgate and retail prices of basic goods and prime commodities.
Director Junibert de Sagun of the DA's Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service said that farmgate prices of dry and wet palay (unmilled rice) gradually increased from January to April 2024 with fluctuations, while retail prices for special, premium, well-milled and regular-milled rice were relatively stable during the period.
«The farmgate price is relatively low compared to the retail price due to several factors, including processing, transportation, and marketing costs incurred between the farm and the consumer,» de Sagun said.
PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTOHe added that «market demand, supply chain dynamics… contribute to the significant markup in retail price despite moderate fluctuations in farmgate prices.»
During the briefing, the DA said it planned to create Kadiwa centers that would regularly sell items.
An assistant secretary of the DA said that «the secretary has recently signed a concept note on the creation of Kadiwa centers.»
Advertisement«We are planning to set up 17 centers here in Metro Manila and nearby areas. These Kadiwa centers will be created in order to have regular Kadiwa selling because, as of now, we only have a few centers that are regularly selling here in Metro Manila,» she said.
She said that «we have determined FTI as our major food hub» and that the creation of food hubs was «in the pipeline.»
Speaker Martin Romualdez had said that the House of Representatives would look into the «disconnect» between the farmgate and retail prices of basic goods.
