Local consumers felt a tighter squeeze on their daily budgets Monday as vegetable prices surged at the Agdao Public Market in Davao City. Market vendors blamed the spike on recent flooding in key agricultural areas supplying the city, along with rising fertilizer and transportation costs.
Sharp Price Increases on Staple Vegetables
Several staple vegetables doubled or even tripled in price compared with last week. Broccoli, a common ingredient in chop suey, posted the sharpest increase, soaring to P300 per kilo from less than P100 last week. Okra and sitaw climbed to P150 per kilo from P100, while squash rose by P25 to P50 per kilo.
Garlic now sells for P160 per kilo, while carrots, potatoes, and ginger retail at P150 per kilo. Onions cost P140 per kilo, followed by ampalaya at P120 and eggplant at P100. Tomatoes and calamansi remained steady at P80 per kilo.
Tina Ginga, a vegetable vendor, said retail prices depend largely on the rates imposed by wholesalers.
Egg Prices Drop, Rice and Seafood Stable
While vegetable prices climbed, egg prices provided some relief for consumers after dropping by P5 per tray across all sizes. Under the current pricing scheme, Piwi eggs sell for P150 per tray; small eggs, P185; medium eggs, P200; large eggs, P210; extra-large eggs, P225; and jumbo eggs, P245.
Rice prices also remained stable across varieties. Kohaku yellow rice retails at P54 to P55 per kilo, while Kohaku red sells at P52 to P55. Malagkit rice costs P50 to P55, Japonica rice P54 to P58, King rice P62, and the 7-tonner variety P53 per kilo.
Seafood prices likewise held steady, with jumbo shrimp priced at P480 per kilo, pompano at P450, and small shrimp ranging from P380 to P400. Matambaka sells for P300, moro-moro for P260 to P280, while bangus and tilapia remain among the more affordable options at P240 per kilo.
Meat and Cooking Oil Prices Unchanged
Meat and cooking oil prices have also stayed unchanged since last month. Pork belly continues to retail between P380 and P420 per kilo, pork pierna and kasim at P360, pork chops at P340 to P360, ribs at P280 to P330, beef at P180 to P200, and chicken liver at P190 per kilo. Meanwhile, coconut oil sells for P180 per kilo, while palm oil costs P98 per kilo.
Consumer Adaptation and Market Outlook
Alyas “Bani,” a marketgoer, said he can still manage despite rising prices, although he has become more careful with spending to stay within his P300 budget for the day. “Kaya paman pero naay time na mangita kag mas barato para mapalit nimo tung need nimo (It’s still manageable, but there are times when you really have to look for cheaper options just to buy what you need),” Bani shared.
Market observers expect vegetable prices to stabilize once weather conditions improve in supplier areas and transport operations normalize.
