DA defers implementation of SRP for onions

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has deferred its plan to set suggested retail prices (SRPs) for red and white onions in the market.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Rex Estoperez told reporters that Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban asked that the implementation be put on hold as he wanted a further study of the cost structure.

"Mukhang he's not convinced with the cost structure na pinresent doon to set the SRP,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary Rex Estoperez said on Wednesday.

(It seems he's not convinced with the cost structure as regards the SRP.)

Estoperez last week said the agency was considering setting SRPs for onions to be implemented on Monday, May 22. 

The Department of Agriculture also planned to impose a “cold storage price” or wholesale price of P115 per kilo for red onions and P100 per kilo for white onions in a bid to lower its price to P140 per kilo for red onions and P150 per kilo for white onions. 

Data from the DA’s price monitoring as of May 24 showed local white onions cost P150 to P200 per kilo while local red onions are priced between P100 and P200 per kilo in Metro Manila markets.

Estoperez said the DA, while the SRP plan is still on hold, will continue to monitor and inspect the cold storage facilities.

“Last January the SRP did not work out, eh ayaw na nating mangyari ulit ‘yun,” he said.

In December of last year, the DA pegged the SRP of red onions per kilo in the wet markets in the National Capital Region (NCR) at P250.

The DA, in January, deferred the extension of the P250 SRP due to the forecast lower price range of onions following the harvest season. 

“Ayaw lang nating mangyari nung nakaraang January… na itong SRP natin tapos we'll encourage the farmers to lower the farm-gate prices, mukhang hindi nangyari at hindi rin naman nila nagawa yun,” Estoperez said.

(We don't want a repeat of what happened in January... that this is our SRP and then we'll encourage the farmers to lower the farm gate prices. It appears that didn't happen and they didn't do so.)

“Wala na namang sumunod doon sa SRP natin. Lessons learned tayo doon including yung ating pag-set ng SRP na yun," he added.

(Nobody followed our SRP. We have lessons learned there including our setting of the SRP.)

Everything [that happened] last year [are] lessons learned and we have to learn from that and we have to strengthen our strategies on that,” Estoperez said.

He said the DA was also looking to cooperate with other agencies for the stricter implementation of the SRP on onions should it be implemented. —NB, GMA Integrated News