Prices of imported red onions reach P300 per kilo in Zamboanga City

The prices of imported red onions went up due to high demand, reaching to as much as P300 per kilo in Zamboanga City.

This was a marked increase from the P260-per kilo price last month in the city's public markets, according to a report of Cyril Chaves, host of At Home with GMA Regional TV, on Unang Balita on Tuesday.

Consumers thus had no choice but resort to buying onions in smaller quantities.

"Before makabili pa ako ng isang kilo. Pero ngayon P300 [ang isang kilo]. Ang kalahati, P140. P75 ang 1/4. Pang-household consumption lang ito. Grabe talaga as in grabe," consumer Ellen Agustin said, according to GMA Regional TV One Mindanao.

(Before, I could still buy one kilo. But now, [one kilo is] P300. Half a kilo is P140. One-fourth kilo is P75. This is just for household consumption. It's really too much.)

Vendors said supply of onions is limited, driving up prices.

One vendor said the price of red onions may even go up to P320 to P340 per kilo this week.

According to the Office of the City Agriculturist in Zamboanga City, the prices of red onions went up due to high demand especially now that Christmas season is near.

"There are so many factors that are affecting the increases of price of bulb onion. But one thing that is really very prevalent is the supply and demand. It is obvious that the supply is really very low and the demand keeps going higher," Carmencita Sanchez, head of the Office of the City Agriculturist, said. —KG, GMA Integrated News