THE average farmgate price of dry palay (unmilled rice) spiked by 29.9 percent year on year in August, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The national average cost was P22.16 per kilogram (kg), up from P17.06 a year earlier. It was 1 percent lower than the P22.39/kg recorded in July.
Among the regions, Ilocos posted the largest annual increase of 53.6 percent, with prices surging to P23.57/kg from P15.35. Month on month, however, its average price fell by 2.2 percent.
Calabarzon recorded the second-largest annual gain of 50.7 percent as prices rose to P19.02/kg from P12.62. Compared with July, prices declined by 0.6 percent.
Western Visayas followed with a 49.8-percent year-on-year increase to P23.82/kg from P15.90. Its average price also rose by 1.4 percent from July.
Central Visayas registered the steepest month-on-month increase of 15.8 percent, with prices climbing to P28.07/kg from P24.25 in July.
In contrast, Soccsksargen posted the largest monthly decline of 8.8 percent. Its average farmgate price fell to P20.48/kg from P22.46 in July.
Northern Mindanao followed with a 6.8-percent drop to P23.35/kg from P25.05. Its price was also 1.57 percent lower than a year earlier.
In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), prices increased by 1 percent year on year and 2.8 percent month on month to P20.61/kg.
At the provincial level, Occidental Mindoro recorded the largest annual increase. Its average dry palay price surged by 94.1 percent to P27.08/kg from P13.95 a year earlier.
In Davao City, meanwhile, prices fell by 1.5 percent to P24.03/kg from P24.39.