MANILA – It could take weeks or months for the vegetable supply in the country to recover from the onslaught of typhoon “Ompong” (“Mangkhut”), said Trade secretary Ramon Lopez.
Although prices of chicken and meat were stable, prices of some lowland vegetables have already increased due to the scarcity of supply, Lopez told dzMM.
“Kung nag-uulan marami talagang nasisira. Ibig sabihin nagkakaroon din ng wastage. Kunwari naani mo na, hindi nadeliver,” Lopez said.
“It can be weeks or months, hindi natin masigurado kung kailan sila makarecover sa supply pero marami pa naman ibang area. Mahirap po talaga ang agriculture kasi naka depende sa production,” he said.
This is a good opportunity for farmers from places unaffected by “Ompong” to supply more produce, Lopez said.
Agriculture secretary Manny Piñol earlier said damage from Ompong in rice and corn crops alone could amount to billions of pesos. (ABS-CBN News)