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CEBU CITY, Philippines ? Corn retailers in Cebu saw a sharp P15 price increase since January 2008, said an official of a grain retailers organization.
"The price of white corn on the first week of January this year was only at P16 per kilo, but it has reached P31 per kilo as of yesterday," said Erwin Gok-ong, Cebu City north chapter vice president of Grain Retailers Confederation of the Philippines (Grecon).
On March 19, the National Food Authority Central Visayas (NFA-7) said the price of white corn was at P27 per kilo.
?In fact, prices of corn have increased since February, way before the price of rice went up,? Gok-ong told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview. As of Monday, he said a bag of 38 kilos of corn costs P1,070, a P20 increase from the P1,050 level last Saturday.
In a separate interview, Agriculture Central Visayas Director Ricardo Oblena said there is no shortage of corn supply in the region.
?We have good base production here since we are corn-producing region. Maybe the retailers are just speculating,? Oblena said.
But Gok-ong belied Oblena's claim. He asked that if there's enough supply, then why are the prices of corn increasing.
He said retailers in Carbon market get their corn from suppliers from Mindanao specifically from Bukidnon, Davao and Cotabato.
He said the suppliers told him that the scarcity of corn is caused partly by the conversion of corn plantations to "fruit plantations" in Mindanao.
He said these areas are now planted with pineapple, banana and papaya.
The corn shortage and the increase in corn prices forced 30 retailers in Carbon market to stop selling corn grits, he said.
He said he also does not believe the retailers are hoarding corn because corn spoils easily.
Gok-ong also noted that the price of commercial rice continue to increase.
A kilo of fancy rice is already sold at P2,000 per bag or at P42 per kilo. Premium rice, which is imported from Thailand, is sold at P1, 680 per bag or at P36 per kilo.
Vietnam-imported, well-milled rice is sold at P1, 650 per bag or at P34 per kilo.
NFA rice remains at P18.25 per kilo.
?Regular-milled rice from Mindanao will not anymore reach Cebu because didto pa lang hurot na ang bugas,? he said.
NFA-7 said Central Visayas has a daily requirement of 16,544 kilos of corn.
Cebu has the largest consumption, needing about 10,197 kilos, Negros Oriental needs 5,248 kilos, Bohol needs 628 kilos and Siquijor needs 471 kilos. /Reporter Cris Evert Lato
