THE onions recently imported by the government have already arrived in the country, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).
With the increased supply soon, many are hoping the prices will go down, according to a report on “Unang Balita” yesterday.
Some are hoping that the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) pronouncement that the price of onions will go down to P80 per kilo will soon happen.
But since the imported onions are not yet in the markets as these are still undergoing inspection at the second border, the prices of onions are still high as of yesterday.
At the Blumentritt Market in Manila, “lasona” onions are being sold at P200 per kilo and fresh onions at P300 per kilo.
A vendor was selling onions at P250 per kilo but these are the rejected ones.
Some vendors are selling sliced onions so consumers can buy them cheaper at P10 per plastic bag.
Vendors said their suppliers told them that the prices of onions might go down next week, but they do not know if this would be due to the release of recently imported onions in the market.
Earlier this month, the DA gave the green light for the importation of 21,060 metric tons of onions to fill a supply gap and arrest the continuous spike in the price of the commodity in the market.
In a letter to BPI-licensed onion importers dated Jan. 6, the DA said it will issue sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC) for the importation of fresh yellow and fresh red onion from Jan. 9 to 13, 2023.
Licensed importers are given until Jan. 27, 2023 for their shipments to arrive in the country.
The volume allowed for importation are broken down as follows:
* Fresh yellow onion – 3,960 metric tons
* Fresh red onion – 1 7,100 metric tons (GMA Integrated News)
