PH to import 16,000 metric tons of yellow onions

Metro Manila, Philippines — The Philippines is set to import 16,000 metric tons (MT) of yellow onions to stabilize supply and prices until the year-end, a Cabinet official said on Wednesday, Aug. 28.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said he approved on Monday, Aug. 26, the importation of white or yellow onions as the country’s stocks of the agricultural product are already “depleted.”

“But marami pa tayong red onion. Ang red onion natin is good until March of next year,” Laurel told reporters. “So, limited quantity lang ito ng white onion na ini-import para lang to stabilize prices of white onions.”

[Translation: But we still have red onions. Our supply for red onion is good until March of next year. So the imported white onion will only be in limited quantities to stabilize prices.]

In a draft memorandum dated Aug. 14, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) said available stock for fresh yellow onion in cold storage facilities across the country was at 3,296.50 MT expected to last until Aug. 25.

The import recommendation of 16,000 MT by the BPI was “based on the monthly per capita consumption of the country and will serve as the buffer to stabilize prices in the market.”

Laurel said the importation will be done in batches so as not to flood the market and impact existing stocks. He added the import permits will be issued every two weeks.

He said the Department of Agriculture expects the arrival of the first batch of imports by the “end of this week or early next week.”

The BPI said it will make sure that imports will come in only until Dec. 31.

The bureau said the harvest season will begin in January 2025 but peak harvest is expected in March to April.

As of Aug. 28, local white onions are sold for ₱80 to ₱150 in Metro Manila markets, according to the DA.