CITING the volatile price of the sili (chili pepper) during the rainy season, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing a plan to ramp up production, harden farms against extreme weather, and bring more predictability to supply and prices of this popular Filipino kitchen staple.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., in a statement on Sunday, January 4, pressed DA officials in a recent meeting to establish baseline numbers for national and Metro Manila consumption, current output, and average yield per hectare. According to the DA, chili pepper prices routinely jump when heavy rains and typhoons damage crops, disrupting supply just as demand holds firm. In September 2025, a kilo of the local siling labuyo sold for as high as P800 due to weather disturbances.
The DA is supporting the construction of greenhouses using local materials as well as typhoon-resistant structures that can withstand strong storms to shield plants from floods and prolonged rainfall, a move that could stabilize supply even during typhoon season.
"Access to clean planting materials and grafted bell peppers will go full-swing through the DA's Gulayan sa Bayan, a move to strengthen agri-entrepreneurship in 1,370 municipalities to address food inflation with commercial high-value crops farming and primary processing," the DA said.
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