In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is actively working to halt the downward spiral of onion farmgate prices, currently at a low of P20 per kilo, according to DA spokesperson Arnel De Mesa. With the onion harvest peaking in March and April, there's concern that prices might drop further.
The drop is attributed to the influx of smuggled and imported onions, per Jayson Cainglet, executive director of the farmers' group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG). Initiatives are underway, involving the Bureau of Plant and Industry (BPI), the High Value Crops Development Program, and Agribusiness and Marketing Service, to create marketing linkages with Kadiwa stores and other outlets in Southern Tagalog and beyond.
Onion cultivation areas have expanded by 40%, with a notable increase in Nueva Ecija, Central Luzon, where the hectarage has reached 11,000 hectares. Despite this expansion, farmgate prices plummeted to P28 per kilo, forcing farmers to rent storage to manage their yields. The challenge is compounded by the competition with smuggled and imported onions, available for as low as P25 per kilo online. Despite BPI's importation of 21,000 metric tons of onions, retail prices in Metro Manila remain high, with local red onions priced between P90 and P120 per kilo and imported varieties slightly lower.
[ P1 = €0.02 ]
Source: philstar.com