PH OKs importation of 3,000MT red, 1,000MT white onions

The Philippine government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), has approved the importation of thousands of metric tons of red and white onions to ensure the prices of the commodity are stable.

In a statement on Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced that he authorized the importation of red and white onions, which are expected to arrive in the country “within the next two weeks.”

“This importation of 3,000 metric tons of red onions and 1,000 metric tons of white onions is intended to ensure we have sufficient buffer stocks while we await the fresh harvest,” Tiu Laurel said.

“We will not risk a potential shortage that unscrupulous traders could exploit to drive up prices, as we saw in the past. We do not want a repeat of the 2022 crisis,” he added.

To recall, in 2022, the price of onions soared to a record high of P700 per kilo due to a supply shortage worsened by delayed imports.

Data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) showed the country’s monthly consumption is at 17,000 metric tons for red onions and 4,000 metric tons for white onions.

Meanwhile, as of mid-January, BPI data showed that red onion stocks in storage stood at 8,500 metric tons, while white onion stocks were at 1,628 metric tons.

“While we were assured during our consultative meetings that there is still ample supply of onions, BPI recommended minimal imports to prevent major price spikes,” said BPI Director Glenn Panganiban.

“Also, due to the typhoons that hit late last year and prevalence of pests and disease, this importation is meant to be a buffer for possible supply gaps. This move is a preemptive measure,” said Panganiban.

The BPI chief added that the current projections showed several metric tons of onion will be harvested this month, and around 33,000 metric tons are projected for March.

--VAL, GMA Integrated News