FILE PHOTO: A stall at Baguio City public market offers newly harvested vegetables from farms in Benguet province. —ALLAN MACATUNO
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is not seeing possible movements in the prices of vegetables in Metro Manila due to the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm “Florita.”
Agriculture Undersecretary Kristine Evangelista said this Wednesday, citing the initial assessment of DA’s Region 1 office, as she reported that 628 hectares of agricultural lands in Ilocos Norte were affected by the strong weather disturbance.
Most of the affected were rice lands as well as farms for high-value crops such as vegetables.
“’Yung gulay natin dito sa Metro Manila, hindi natin inaasahan na gagalaw ang presyo dahil dun sa bagyo at sa effects sa Ilocos Norte at this point,” Evangelista said in a press briefing.
(We are not expecting the prices of vegetables here in Metro Manila to move due to the storm and its effects in Ilocos Norte at this point.)
She also said the DA has extended assistance to livestock farmers while rice, corn, and vegetable seeds are available for farmers affected by the typhoon.
A quick response fund is likewise available to help affected farmers, the DA official added.
As of 5 a.m., the center of Florita’s eye was located 335 kilometers west of Calayan, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (km/h) near the center and gustiness of up to 115 km/h.
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