Impact of typhoons is leading the Philippines to consider limited vegetable imports

The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) is considering limited imports of white onions and other vegetables due to damage caused by recent typhoons in Luzon's producing areas, according to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

He stated that a small import of white onions is necessary because prices have risen from $1.44 to $2.16 per kilogram in the market due to the typhoons, highlighting the impact of natural disasters on costs.

According to the DA's Bantay Presyo price monitoring, local white onions in Metro Manila sell for between $1.44 and $2.52 per kilogram, while imported onions range from $1.17 to $2.88 per kilogram. To stabilize the domestic supply, the DA had already approved the importation of 16,000 metric tons of white onions in August.

Furthermore, Tiu Laurel mentioned that potential imports of carrots, tomatoes, and broccoli are being evaluated, subject to further analysis. Currently, carrot prices in Metro Manila have increased from $2.70 to $4.14 per kilogram, with tomatoes showing a similar increase.

The DA is also exploring sourcing vegetables from the Visayas and Mindanao regions to mitigate price increases.

Source: pna.gov.ph; Photo: bbc.com