DA eyes as low as P80/kg onion prices in 2023

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Monday it is targeting to have onion prices dip to P170 per kilo to as low as P80/kg this year.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Kristine Evangelista said they are expecting a better supply of local onion harvest this year considering that they did not import last year, and that they put up more cold storage facilities in strategic areas to extend the shelf life of the commodity.

However, she said that the DA also wants onion farmers to come up with price points that will make their farmgate prices stable throughout the year.

“I hope it will be less than P170. I hope we can see months wherein we see P80. But the thing is, we are also looking at price stability. We’re trying to help our farmers make price points of which that their farmgate prices will be stable. They know how to spread their losses as well, and to come up with price points that will be stable all throughout the year considering also the cost of cold storage facilities,” she said in an interview on ANC.

“P170 and even lower is…I think within all throughout the year is something we’d like to achieve,” she added.

By the middle of January in 2023, the DA said it is expecting a lower price of onions amid efforts to facilitate enough supply in markets and the anticipated harvest season.

With this, Evangelista said they still have to conduct another stakeholders meeting before they decide on the onion prices, but are looking at P200/kg or lower.

“January 15 is the start of harvest. Of course the peak is March and April, but with the better supply, then we can see prices going down,” she said.

The Agriculture Department on Thursday set the suggested retail price (SRP) of red onions per kilo in the wet markets in the National Capital Region (NCR) at P250. This will be in effect until the first week of January 2023.

This came after the price of red onions exceeded P700 a kilo in some markets in Metro Manila on Wednesday, in Bernadette Reyes’ “24 Oras” report. — Giselle Ombay/RSJ, GMA Integrated News