Onions recently imported now in PH; prices expected to go down

The onions recently imported by the government have already arrived in the country, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry, and with the increased supply soon, many are hoping the prices will go down, according to a report of Nico Waje on Unang Balita on Monday.

Some are hoping that the Department of Agriculture's (DA) pronouncement that the price of onions will go down to P80 per kilo will soon happen.

But since the imported onions are not yet in the markets as these are still undergoing inspection at the second border, the prices of onions are still high as of Monday.

At the Blumentritt Market in Manila, "lasona" onions are being sold at P200 per kilo, and fresh onions at P300 per kilo.

A vendor was selling onions at P250 per kilo but these are the rejected ones.

Some vendors are selling sliced onions so consumers can buy them cheaper at P10 per plastic bag.

LOOK: Ilang tindera sa Blumentritt Market, ginagayat at binebenta nang tingi ang mga sibuyas maubos lang at makabawi ng puhunan. Mabenta raw ito kaysa per piraso at per kilo

P10 ang benta ng kada plastic na kapag tinimbang ay aabot sa dalawang guhit. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/TNisbngUIu

— Nico Waje (@nicowaje) January 22, 2023

Vendors said their suppliers told them that the prices of onions might go down next week, but they do not know if this would be due to the release of recently imported onions in the market.

Green light

Earlier this month, the DA gave the green light for the importation of 21,060 metric tons of onions to fill a supply gap and arrest the continuous spike in the price of the commodity in the market.

In a letter to Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI)-licensed onion importers dated January 6, the DA said it will issue sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC) for the importation of fresh yellow and fresh red onion from January 9 to January 13, 2023.

Licensed importers are given until January 27, 2023 for their shipments to arrive in the country.

The volume allowed for importation are broken down as follows:

•     Fresh yellow onion - 3,960 metric tons
•     Fresh red onion - 17,100 metric tons

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said on January 16 (PH time) that “our government had no choice but to import,” given the gap between production and the demand for onions in the Philippines.

“Given the production and demand we have in the Philippines, it's impossible to avoid imports. We've tried to get products from smuggling, but the need was still not met. We had no choice but to import, so that’s what we’re doing,” Marcos, who also sits as Agriculture secretary, told reporters who were with him on the plane from Manila to Switzerland where he will attend the World Economic Forum.

Members of the Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives meanwhile have filed a resolution seeking the "immediate" suspension of the government's importation of 21,060 metric tons of onion.

"Contrary to the supposed supply problem in onions being projected by the Marcos Jr. administration, price manipulation, profiteering, and hoarding of onions by cartels and large traders cause the soaring prices of onions in the market," they said.

They also noted that "uncontrollable smuggling" of onions and other agricultural products from China has affected local production.

The lawmakers also said farmers from San Jose, Occidental Mindoro have asked the government to halt the importation ahead of the harvest season as this will cause loss of their earnings. —KG, GMA Integrated News