Tomato, cooking oil prices rise in mid-July as pork, rice prices fall

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said tomato and cooking oil prices rose month on month during the July 15-17 period, the second phase of July, as reported by BusinessWorld. Tomato prices climbed 36.4% from the previous month to P115.26 per kilogram.

In contrast, prices of calamansi, pork and well-milled rice retreated during the same period. The PSA's price monitoring covers selected agricultural and food items sold in public markets, providing a monthly snapshot of consumer price movements.

The mixed price movements come amid ongoing supply and demand shifts in agricultural commodities. Cooking oil prices also increased, though the exact rate was not immediately available. The PSA typically releases price data in two phases each month, with the second phase covering mid-month.