The Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced the arrival of approximately 3,270 metric tons (MT) of imported onions in the Philippines. This initiative aims to stabilize the domestic market and address recent surges in retail prices.
According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the shipment comprises around 2,300 MT of red onions and 970 MT of white onions. This importation is part of the DA’s approved plan to bring in 4,000 MT of onions—3,000 MT of red and 1,000 MT of white—following retail prices reaching up to P200 per kilogram.
The limited importation is intended to curb further price increases while awaiting the peak harvest season. As a result, onion prices have dropped from P200 to P130 per kilogram.
Agriculture spokesperson Arnel de Mesa projects that red onion prices could further decline to P80 to P100 per kilogram with the continued arrival of imports and the peak harvest period.
However, the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), a farmers’ group, has expressed concerns over decreasing farmgate prices. Currently, white onions are being bought at P32 per kilogram, while red onions are at P45 per kilogram. SINAG Executive Director Jayson Cainglet noted that the cost of production for white onions is P30 per kilogram, and for red onions, the farmgate price should be at least P60 per kilogram; P45 per kilogram is considered too low.
Cainglet also highlighted challenges in meeting the DA’s target production of 180,000 MT for 2024, citing crop damage from armyworms and consecutive typhoons as contributing factors.
The DA continues to monitor the situation and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that both consumer interests and farmer livelihoods are balanced in the ongoing efforts to stabilize the onion market.
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