By Liezelle Soriano
MANILA — Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has indicated that the price of galunggong may see a decline by March.
“The answer is yes. But in March, that’s the Philippines’ galunggong catching season—March, April, May, and June. The lifting will be slow by February; the catch is still low. But by March, I expect the price to go down,” Laurel stated when questioned about the potential decrease in galunggong prices in the coming months.
According to Laurel, the expected price range for galunggong is between P130 to P150 per kilo.
Switching to the rice supply, the Department of Agriculture assures the public that there is an ample supply of rice in the country.
“As far as supply is concerned, we have enough rice – in December, our stocks were relatively healthy. January is also showing healthy figures, with additional rice coming in. However, predicting the price is challenging. The issue is that the world price is increasing due to El Niño,” commented Laurel.
The agriculture secretary further mentioned that the country had an ending rice stock of 20 million tons last year and aims for a similar volume this year, considering the potential impacts of the El Niño phenomenon forecasted to persist until April.
(el Amigo/MNM)