High price of mongo noted in Aklan markets

2010/03/03

High price of mongo noted in Aklan markets

by Venus G. Villanueva

Kalibo, Aklan (3 March) -- The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) here has noted the very high price of mongo sold at Aklan public markets.

Moises T. Inamac, Provincial Price Coordinator based at OPA-Aklan revealed that a ganta of mongo costs P200-210 as of January 2010 in public markets. Its price last month (December 2009), based on OPA's Price Monitoring Report, was P190.00 to 200.00 per ganta.

Out of 19 market commodities listed under Cash Crops category of OPA in the report, mongo and sweet pepper commanded the highest price. Last December 2009, a kilo of sweet pepper was sold from P120.00-P220.00 per kilo. Its price, however, for the month of January, ranged from P160.00 to P250.00.

Inamac shared the information during the latest Provincial Price Coordinating Council (PPCC) meeting called by Governor Carlito Marquez in the wake of the current economic and climatic condition that has resulted to increases in prices of prime commodities.

To call the attention of concerned agencies like the Department of Agriculture (DA) on the preventive price of mongo, PPCC members suggested to OPA to send a copy of their monitoring report to the regional office.

Some members suggested the intensified planting of mongo in Aklan ricefields now to increase the supply of mongo in the province.

Rene Enriquez, farmer-member of the council and Provincial Agrarian Reform Committee (PARCOM) officer said, however, that farmers are discouraged to plant mongo in their fields.

"When we plant mongo in our fields, there are many owners. Everybody in the community thinks he can just pick mongo pods when the crop is ready, not thinking of the farm owner who invested money to plant the crop," Enriquez said.

The DTI, on the other hand, represented by Deana Ruiz, emphasized that the true worth of a commodity should be assessed, so the council or the concerned agency could determine if the price of the commodity is "grossly" in excess of its true worth.

Other things taken up in the meeting were updates on the current prices of fish, rice, lumber, copra, and other basic commodities given by respective agencies in charge of monitoring prices and supplies.

Chaired by Governor Carlito Marquez with DTI Provincial Director Diosdado Cadena Jr., as Vice Chairman, members are composed of representatives from the PNP, Provincial Prosecutor's Office, OPA, OPVET, PHO, DENR, LTO, NFA, DOH, BFAR, BAS, PCA, PIA, Aklan Consumers Association, Hugod Aklanon Producers Association, PARCOM and Kalibo Vendors Association. (PIA)

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