LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, Philippines?Unfazed by reports that imported vegetables had begun to flood the market, trading at the vegetable trading post here remained brisk as prices started to soar.

The trend was noticed before All Saints? Day and as of Thursday, prices of highland vegetables continued to peak, a sign of relief for farmers who were recovering from losses caused by Typhoon ?Pepeng? last month.

Elsie Gis-it, Cordillera Vegetable Trading Post Dealers Association president, said demand for fresh vegetables remained but last month?s typhoons lowered supply.

She said the lull in trading pushed the demand up.

Sayote, considered to be one of the cheapest vegetables here, is sold for P43-P45 from P18 per kg, the Inquirer learned.

?Sayote is now the province?s green gold,? Gis-it said.

Gis-it said sayote has become the gauge for prices. ?Once the price of sayote increases, prices of other vegetables would increase too,? she said.

True enough, prices of other vegetables were up: Potatoes sell for P40 to P45 a kg, up from their usual price of P30 a kg; cabbage, P50 to P60 a kg (from P30 to P40); lettuce, P120 a kg (from P40). Delmar Cariño, Inquirer Northern Luzon