Onion importation to address February supply shortfall - DA chief

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture said the planned importation of 4,000 metric tons of onions will address the projected “deficit” of the commodity this month.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., in a briefing on Monday, Feb. 10, cited data from the Bureau of Plant Industry that there will be a “deficit” of 7,000 metric tons in February.

“We are opening up the market for only 4,000 tons — 1,000 tons for white, 3,000 tons for red. It’s not even enough to fill in the perceived gap or estimated gap. Hindi dapat mag-worry [They should not worry],” Laurel said.

He said he received a report on Monday morning that large-scale onion producers in Nueva Ecija, specifically Bongabon, Rizal, and San Jose, would have full harvest by the third week of March up to April.

“I have to think of the consumers also, not just the farmers. Ang ginawa natin [What we did] is very tactical, limited value, limited quantity, limited time,” Laurel said.

A number of groups have criticized the government’s move to import onions in the middle of the harvest season.

On Sunday, Danilo Ramos of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said it was “a deliberate act of economic sabotage that will only drive down farmers’ incomes while benefiting a few importers.”

“The 2022 onion crisis — when retail prices of onion skyrocketed to P700 per kilo — was not a result of production failure but by cartel manipulation and government inefficiencies,” Ramos said.

“Instead of addressing the root causes - hoarding, price manipulation, and lack of farmer support - the DA continues to rely on importation, further crippling local producers,” he said.

“I’m not a farmer, I’m not an importer, I’m the DA secretary. I’m here to manage the situation," Laurel said, when asked for comments regarding groups’ reaction to the onion importation.

Onion prices in Metro Manila range from P90 to P210 per kilogram, according to DA price monitoring on Feb. 7.