Philippine government sets February 20 deadline for onion imports to stabilize prices

In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has set February 20 as the deadline for the arrival of imported onions to avoid competition with local harvests. According to Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa, imports are necessary to stabilize prices, as costs are difficult to control once they surge.

Onion prices have already hit P200 per kilogram ($3.44/kg), prompting Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to approve the importation of 3,000 tons of red onions and 1,000 tons of white onions. However, De Mesa clarified that this is a small volume compared to the country's 17,000 tons of monthly consumption.

The bulk of the local onion harvest will peak in March, so imported onions will not overlap significantly with local production. Despite this, farmers' groups criticized the timing, arguing that the harvest season has already started in major producing areas like Pangasinan, Mindoro, and Nueva Ecija.

Farmers also face a second crisis as plantations in Nueva Ecija battle an armyworm infestation, following storm-related losses last November. The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) accused the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) of failing to account for onions in cold storage, leading to an inaccurate 7,000-ton deficit report.

During a January 30 stakeholder meeting, farmers were caught off guard when the BPI discussed import clearances with traders, causing some to harvest early out of fear that prices would drop.

As of February 7, local red onions were priced at P172.60 per kilo ($2.97/kg), while white onions sold for P118.08 per kilo ($2.03/kg), slightly below the price of imported varieties.

source: philstar.com

photo: ndtv.com