Storm damage may drive up prices of vegetables in Cebu
Prices of vegetables may increase after tropical storms Queenie and Seniang has damaged over 50 percent of Cebu’s vegetable crops, the provincial agriculture office said.
Dalaguete town, one of Cebu’s biggest suppliers of vegetables reported that 95 percent of its crops were damaged by typhoon Queenie last November.
Roldan Saragena said that over 50 percent of the province’s total supply of produce has declined because of the damage wrought by the last typhoon.
“We received only a few reports for damage during Seniang because all the crops have already been destroyed by the last typhoons,” he told reporters yesterday.
For Queenie alone, Dalaguete pegged its total agricultural damage at P21,480,599.
Saragena said that the “vegetable basket of Cebu” consisting of the mountainous parts of Alcoy, Boljoon, Dalaguete, and Argao suffered greatly at the height of typhoon Seniang.
“Nihit na gyud kaayo ang supply sa South karon so mag-expect ta nga ang presyo sa Carbon (market) mosaka pod,” he said.
(Supply is very low from southern Cebu, so we can expect prices at Carbon Market to rise.)
However, he said that supply from other provinces continue to come in but the damaged Dumlog Bridge in Sibonga town is giving suppliers a hard time transporting these produce.
The weather, he cited, is also going to affect the shipment of these products from neighboring provinces to Cebu.
“Kung sige og ingon ani, mag uwan-uwan na lang pirmi, maglisod gyud na og abot,” he said.
(If we continue to experience inclement weather conditions, it is difficult for the supply to reach Cebu.)
He said that they are closely coordinating with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to keep watch over market prices, since supplies of crops in Cebu are running low.
Saragena said that it may take two or three months before the affected farmers can recover.
“These farmers already know what to do during these circumstances. They have reserve seeds already. I know they will recover fast,” said Saragena.
Saragena added that he is hoping the weather conditions will improve.
Last year, prolonged colder than usual weather has also resulted in crops and livestock losses.
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