RETAIL prices of local rice in Bangkerohan Public Market have gone down this month due to the harvest season.
“Barato ra ang kompra namo gikan Bansalan kay ting harvest naman ron (The rice we bought from Bansalan are cheaper now because it is harvest season),” rice seller Myrna Apari said.
The price drop ranges from two to five pesos per kilogram (kg).
Well-milled local rice decreased from P40/kg to P35/kg, while regular milled rice prices dropped from P43/kg to P40/kg.
NFA rice, on the other hand, retained its price of P27/kg.
Meanwhile, prices of imported rice increased by an average of P20 per sack.
“Karon 20 ang saka sa imported kay katong niaging semana naka kompra mig 1,690. Ganiha ning tawag ko kay magpa deliver ko. 1,710 naman ilahang hatag kada sako (The price of imported rice increased by P20 because last week I was able to buy rice at P1,690 per sack. I called the supplier, and they said it now costs P1,710 per sack),” Bangkerohan rice retailer Julas Cabahug said.
According to Apari, the local rice prices are expected to increase in December as the harvest season comes to an end.
“Nibaba og 100 ang presyo kada sako maong ni barato among baligya pero mo saka napod ni karong Disyembre (The prices of rice per sack decreased by P100 that’s why we sell at a lower price. However, the prices will increase this coming December),” she said. (Jamrell Vincette Buynay and Rolando Jr. Lameda)