THE average farm-gate price of unmilled rice sustained its uptrend, reaching P17.85 per kilogram just before 2016 ended, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in its latest report.
The figure was 1.88 percent higher than the P17.52/kg average farm-gate price of palay recorded in the same time period last year, according to the PSA’s report, “Updates on Palay, Rice and Corn Prices,” published on January 4.
“The average farm-gate price of palay at P17.85 per kilo gained by 0.07 percent from a week ago and by 1.88 percent from the price of the same period last year,” the PSA report read.
The PSA report showed it was the eighth consecutive week since the first week of November last year when the average farm-gate price of unmilled rice increased.
PSA data showed regular milled rice during the December 21 to 27 period also increased.
“The average wholesale price of regular milled rice during the week went up by 0.16 percent from last week’s level. This week’s quotation of P34.42/kg was also higher than last year’s level by 1.23 percent,” the PSA report read.
“Quoted at P37.17/kg, the retail price of regular milled rice registered a 0.04-percent uptick from the previous week’s level of P37.16/kg. Compared to last year’s quotation, it inched up by 1.1 percent,” the PSA added.
The average wholesale price of well-milled rice is still on the uptrend, further increasing to P38.24/kg, compared to P38.20/kg recorded in the third week of December. The figure was a little bit higher than last year’s price of P37.78/kg.
“At the retail trade, the average price of well milled rice at P41.48/kg posted a decrease of 0.11 percent from P41.53/kg last week. Meanwhile, a mark-up of 0.96 percent from last year’s price was noted,” the PSA report read.
The same PSA report said the average farm-gate price of yellow corn in end-December decreased to P10.85/kg, 5.71 percent lower than the P11.50/kg recorded same time period last year. The figure is also lower than the third week of December’s price of P10.98/kg.
“The average wholesale price of yellow-corn grain at P16.95/kg posted respective price decreases of 0.06 percent and 0.24 percent from a week ago and last year’s levels,” the PSA report read.
“The average wholesale price of white-corn grain maintained its last week’s level of P15.10/kg. Relative to its previous year’s level, it went down by 1.79 percent,” the PSA report added.