DA assures consumers of steady food prices

In this file photo, vegetable vendors arrange fresh produce in Commonwealth Market in Quezon City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday gave assurance to consumers that there would not be any price increases or supply shortfalls in basic food commodities in Metro Manila during the two-week enhanced community quarantine.

Agriculture Undersecretary Kristine Evangelista said in a phone interview with Inquirer that the agency already identified areas where most of Metro Manila’s food supply would be coming from and prepositioned trucks that could be used by farmers who might have difficulties in transporting their produce.

Metro Manila’s source of meat, vegetables, fruits, rice and other major agricultural products are the nearby provinces of Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Mimaropa, as well as Cagayan and Cordillera.

Evangelista said they were anticipating the presence of several checkpoints that could hamper the transport of food and other farm products. But she said local governments had already been advised to allow those with food passes to enter, pass through and leave their respective areas.

Those who weren’t able to apply for a pass could still do so by contacting the DA’s central or regional offices.