Farmers harvest rice near the highway in barangay Pogomboa in Aguilar town, Pangasinan province, in this photo taken on October 16, 2017. Every stage meant an additional expense for them. PHOTO BY WILLIE LOMIBAO
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol on Monday said the price of rice would soon stabilize with the start of the harvest season.
At a Senate hearing, Piñol said some farmers already started harvesting rice in Mindanao.
“Sa presyuhan, I believe that this will stabilize. Rice prices will stabilize by November this year, pero hindi na bababa ng P40 (per kilo),” he said.
“I was just in Mindanao. The harvest is starting. Early harvest starts early September, and it would stretch into early October,” he said.
Prices of rice spiked in the last few months in some markets due to the lean months and a shortage of rice in some areas due to an intensified drive against smuggling. /cbb
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