BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera office of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-CAR- disclosed that the average farm gate price of palay and other variety went up from P17.24 per kilo during the first quarter last year to P19.40 per kilo during the first quarter this year.
During the same period, the PSA-CAR noted that the price of yellow corn increased from P11.92 per kilo to P12.75 per kilo.
On the other hand, the PSA-CAR stated that the average farm gate price of live weight livestock and poultry increased from the first quarter last year to the first quarter this year wherein price of cattle increased from P112.85 per kilo to P118.55 per kilo; carbao from P108.32 per kilo to P106.21 per kilo; hogs from P103.75 to P117.36 per kilo; goat from P100.24 per kilo to P103.96 per kilo; native chicken from P134.66 per kilo to P144.15 per kilo and duck from P130.75 per kilo to P139.01 per kilo.
Brought about by lesser production during the first quarter this year compared to the same period last year, the PSA-CAR reported that prices of most leafy vegetables in the region increased wherein the farm gate price of broccoli went up from P15.59 per kilo to P42.62 per kilo; cabbage from P15.26 per kilo to P19.39 per kilo; cauliflower from P11.63 per kilo to P50.84 per kilo; lettuce from P11.81 per kilo to P61.22 per kilo; Chinese pechay from P6.51 per kilo to P15.59 per kilo; native pechay from P24.74 per kilo to P30.98 per kilo.
Consequently, the PSA-CAR claimed that prices of celery decreased from P31.36 per kilo to P23.03 per kilo due to more production in Benguet.
On fruits and vegetables, the PSA-CAR report stipulated that the average farm gate price of ampalaya went up from P25.18 per kilo to P22.26 per kilo; chayote from P4.41 per kilo to P6.99 per kilo; squash from P17.40 to P22.57 per kilo and tomato from P15.79 per kilo to P19.70 per kilo but the price of purple eggplant slightly dropped from P21.83 per kilo to P21.6 per kilo.
The PSA-CAR disclosed the average farm gate price of roots and tubers generally declined wherein the price of carrots decreased from P34.33 per kilo to P25.27 per kilo; sweet potato from PP27 .37 per kilo to P19.88 per kilo and cassava fresh tubers for food from P16.05 per kilo to P10.74 per kilo.
Meanwhile, the PSA-CAR added the price of white potato increased from P22.23per kilo to P30.39 per kilo.
The PSA-CAR further disclosed that the average farm gate price of beans and legumes increased wherein the price of habitchuelas was up from P18.61 per kilo to P25.04 per kilo; string beans from P23.99 per kilo to P26.92 per kilo and sweet peas, Chinese Baguio from P53.05 per kilo to P80.91 per kilo.
It was also reported by the PSA=Car that the changes in average farm gate prices of available condiments in the region such as native ginger, Hawaiian ginger, onion leeks and bell pepper varied wherein the first quarter this year, the price of native ginger went down from P34.61 per kilo from P25.18 per kilo and Hawaiian ginger from P34.35 per kilo to P25.66 per kilo.
However, the prices of onion leeks went up from P27.21 per kilo to P36.15 per kilo and bell pepper from P50.85 per kilo to P52.49 per kilo.
Lastly, the PSA-CAR cited the average prices of fruits available during the period actuated differently wherein the price of green banana bungulan went down from P19.76 per kilo to P15.82 per kilo; lakatan from P30.61 per kilo to P25.41 per kilo; latundan from P16.44 per kilo to P13.29 per kilo but on the contrary, the prices of green banana saba increased from P13.25 per kilo to P14; green carabao mango from P27.25 per kilo to P30.52 per kilo and Hawaiian papaya from P17.82 per kilo to P18.23 per kilo.
The PSA-CAR emphasized the farm prices survey (FPS) is a nationwide household-based monthly survey designed to gather data on farm gate or producer’s prices received by farmers, livestock and poultry raisers for the sale of their produce, at the first point of sale, excluding transportation and delivery cost.
The agency added the general purpose of the FPS is to gather reliable price information at the farm level and it aims to develop sets of price indices and to measure the purchasing power of growers of selected agricultural products and serve as input in analysing the seasonal trends and variation in agricultural prices.
The PSA-CAR said the availability of information on agriculture, particularly on farm prices, is essential not only in the formulation of economic programs and policies of the government but also in the production planning and decision-making to optimize profit.
By HENT