DA rules out option to sell seized white onions at Kadiwa stalls

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is no longer considering selling the confiscated white onions at Kadiwa stalls due to health and sanitary concerns, a department official said.

“We will not risk selling these to Kadiwa… Natanggal na ang option na iyan,” DA deputy spokesperson Rex Estoperez said during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restobar in Quezon City.

Early this week, the DA official said that the sacks of white onions confiscated in Divisoria, Manila could be sold at the Kadiwa stalls at a cheaper price.

The onions, estimated to be worth P3.9 million, were loaded onto a truck of the Philippine National Police and brought to a warehouse of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) for inventory.

Estoperez, however, said a phytosanitary test conducted on the onions found the produce to be unsafe for human consumption.

“Anyway, ang resulta ay mukhang hindi kaliga-ligaya... Nung na-kumpiska ito, mukhang iba nag-deteriorate na because hirap na sila maglabas,” he said.

“Pag nag-deteriorate na, alam mo naman magkakahalo-halo pag yung isa, dalawa, tutulo doon sa mga... mahahawa na doon,” he added.

The DA official said the onions will be burned or shredded to be turned into compost.

Estoperez earlier said that the current inventory of red onions is at around 13,000 metric tons, and they expect to harvest 5,000 metric tons more by the first week or second week of December. — DVM, GMA Integrated News