After oil price hikes, vegetable prices zoom up

The prices of vegetables zoomed up in parts of Metro Manila on Wednesday, some by as much as P80/kilo, a day after consumers were hit with a new round of fuel price hikes. In Pasig City, radio dzBB's Glen Juego reported that prices of bell peppers went up from P120 to P200 per kilo while cabbage prices went up from P30 to P40 per kilo. The price of beans went up from P25 to P30 per kilo while prices of potatoes went up from P35 to P40 per kilo, the report added. As this developed, trade officials said they will hold surprise price inspections, particularly on agricultural products, to discourage unscrupulous traders from exploiting the situation. Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya cited reports that some traders may hike prices of agricultural products by as much as P5 per kilo. “Babantayan nating mabuti ang galaw at patuloy ang monitoring. This week magdadagdag tayo ng more monitoring teams para mas maraming palengke maikot natin supermarket para malaman talaga natin ang kalagayan ng presyo," Maglaya said in an interview on dzXL radio. (We will closely watch the movement [of prices] and we will continue monitoring. This week, we will have more monitoring teams so that we can inspect more public markets and supermarkets so that we will know the status of the prices.) "Hindi namin sinasabi kung kailan tayo magmo-monitor (o magpapadala) ng mas maraming monitoring teams (We cannot say when we will have more monitoring teams to watch the prices)," she said. Maglaya said traders cannot justify jacking up prices by citing fuel price hikes, which she said account for only two percent of the prices of agricultural products. On Tuesday, some fuel firms increased prices of diesel by P1.50 per liter; kerosene by P1.25 per liter; and premium gas by P1 per liter. Maglaya cited reports that some traders hiked prices by as much as P5 per kilo, citing rising fuel costs. According to her, fuel prices may account for 50 centavos to P1 per kilo at most. “Of course magkakaroon ng pagtaas pero di naman katulad ng sinasabi nila na maging P5 bawa’t kilo. Sobra naman yan. Palagay ko 50 centavos o P1 kada kilo ng gulay but definitely hindi naman P5. Kaya huwag naman sana nila gawing dahilan ito dahil labis yan ... Hindi nila pwede gamiting dahilan itong patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng gasoline," she said. (Of course there will be price increases but it will be too much to say it is P5 per kilo. That’s too much. Maybe 50 centavos to P1, but definitely not P5 per kilo. Traders should not use these fuel price hikes as an excuse.) On the other hand, Maglaya admitted the DTI can no longer hold back the increase in the prices of bread after flour prices went up by more than P80 per sack since January. She said the only consolation for consumers is that the “Pinoy Tasty" bread still costs P38 per loaf. “Ayaw naman natin naiipit ang panadero dahil sa taas ng arina at di natin payagan magtaas ang presyo ng loaf bread at pan de sal. Ang magandang balita, ang ‘Pinoy Tasty’ nananatili at P38," she said. (We don’t want bakers to be caught in the middle because of high flour prices. But of course, we will not allow profiteers to exploit the situation. But the good news is that ‘Pinoy Tasty’ bread is still at P38 a loaf.) – VVP, GMA News