THE Department of Agriculture (DA)-Northern Mindanao has noted increases in the prices of some basic commodities in the region.
DA Assistant Regional Director Carlota Madriaga on Monday, January 25, 2021, said based on their price monitoring report, the prices of pork and chicken meat and vegetables have increased.
They also noted a rise in the price of imported rice compared to the price of locally produced rice.
"Ang nimahal gyud karon ang atong gulay tungod sa kalamidad nga nahitabo didto sa Luzon. Aside from the pandemic, naay bagyo. Ang supply nila from Benguet and Laguna Province medyo naapektuhan," Madriaga said.
However, he said Northern Mindanao is more than 100-percent sufficient in terms of supply of the said basic commodities except for rice.
"Wala ta nagkulang, sobra gyud," Madriaga said.
The DA assistant regional director said the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the region is 621-percent self-sufficient in pork production and 569-percent self-sufficient in chicken production.
Madriaga further said the sufficiency level of Northern Mindanao in terms of vegetables is also high.
"Ang dili ta sufficient kani ra gyung rice. We are only 83 percent sufficient sa rice. Mao na nga naa tay mga imported nga rice," Madriaga said.
"Buot pasabot ana, sa atong panginahanglanon, based on our consumpton, 83 percent lang atong ma-address sa atong local production. Mao nang duna tay 17 percent nga i-import para ma-compensate nga mahimong 100 percent, kita tanan sufficient sa bugas," she added.
Madriaga said the DA is aiming to reach a 95-percent rice sufficiency level in Northern Mindanao in 2021.
"Naa gyud pagsaka sa atong mga presyo karon sa kamerkadohan pero dili nagpasabot nga wala tay supply," Madriaga said.