Alcala says agri sector posted flat growth

MANILA, Philippines –  Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala remains hopeful that the sector did not contract last year but instead posted a flat growth.

In an interview, Alcala said end-2010 figures indicate a good performance by the livestock sector. And were it not for the damage caused by Typhoon Juan last year, the crops sector would have been able to post a growth last year, he added.

The DA is reviewing the performance of the various agriculture sub-sectors to determine the entire growth performance of the farm sector.

Alcala who was the guest at the Broadcasters’ Forum yesterday at the Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City, said consumer need not fear a steep rise in vegetable prices owing to an early frost in Benguet Province and an increase in toll fees.

Alcala said that as of yesterday’s, monitoring reports submitted by DA personnel show that vegetable prices have actually gone down slightly following the Christmas holidays.

He said the effects of the frost in Benguet province are minimal since the DA has encouraged vegetable production in other areas such as Nueva Vizcaya, Laguna and Tagaytay.

As for the increase in toll fees, Alcala said this may raise the prices of vegetables by 15 to 25 centavos per kilo. He said some vegetable traders told him that they do not mind the additional toll hike so long as they are able to get their produce to the markets faster.

Otherwise he appealed to vegetable traders in general not to raise their prices by P5 to P8. –Marianne V. Go (The Philippine Star)