Manila, July 29 -- The elevated prices of vegetables may be tamed within two weeks, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Monday.

This came after the DA's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center reported that damage to agriculture rose to 53,356 metric tons (MT), amounting to PHP2.34 billion due to the combined effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Emong (international name Co-May), Dante (Francisco), and Crising (Wipha).

This includes PHP421.95 million worth of losses in high-value crops, including lowland and upland vegetables, spices, legumes, watermelons, bananas, pineapples, papayas, and root crops.

In a phone interview, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said prices of v...