THE Department of Agriculture (DA) yesterday said it is not considering the importation of onions given the expected harvest in the coming months, even as current prices of the commodity are more than double the suggested retail price (SRP).
DA deputy spokesperson Rex Estoperez said prices of onions have already reached up to P520 per kilogram in select markets in Metro Manila, with farmgate prices up to P300 per kilogram.
Monitoring of the DA shows that prices of local red onion in Metro Manila markets averaged P500 per kilogram on Dec. 27, while there were no stocks available for the local white onion and the imported varieties.
This is more than double the P170 per kilogram SRP set in October, which the DA said was imposed “in order not to aggravate the current difficulties of the Filipino people.”
“Ang presyo naman, ang nagdidikta niyan ay supply and demand, so kung mahina ang supply mong nanggagaling po sa ating produksyon, ang presyo ay tataas,” Estoperez said during the public briefing.
“Meron tayong supply, hindi sobra-sobra,” he added.
Prices have continued to increase for months now, with local red onions averaging P280 per kilogram on Nov. 25, P250 per kilogram on Nov. 11, and P180 per kilogram on Oct. 25.
Estoperez said it would be hard to dictate prices of the commodity given the high cost of production, and strictly enforcing the SRP would deter farmers from selling.
“Mukhang sa enforcement, mahihirapan tayo dun kasi kung ilalagay natin sa ating mga kamay, ‘pag sabihin na natin, magdidikita, wala nang magbebenta niyan kasi mataas ang presyo ng puhunan nila,” he said.
He also noted that the harvest season of onions is expected in the coming months, but there is still no estimate as to the volume due to the recent typhoons that hit the country.
Moving forward, Estoperez said the DA will focus on possible interventions for the commodity, including credit for farmers, and providing them assistance in terms of logistics, transportation, cold storage, and packaging.
“Sa ngayon po hindi pa natin kino-consider ‘yung pag-import ng sibuyas, lalung-lalo itong commodity ng sibuyas, at tinitignan natin kung saan tayo nagkukulang even though alam natin there are imperfections sa sistema natin,” he said. (GMA Integrated News)
