DA: Kadiwa stores to stop selling cheaper onions starting Jan. 13

The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Kadiwa stores will stop selling cheaper onions beginning Friday, January 13, an official of the agency said Thursday.

In an interview with reporters, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista said the agency’s memorandum of agreement with Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), the supplier of onions, ended last December 31, 2022.

“Bukas wala muna (Starting tomorrow, there will be none for the meantime). We have to make sure if we have to have supplemental MOA, then everything has to be in order to start the second cycle,” Evangelista said.

“Ang first cycle ubos na (The first cycle is already sold out),” she said.

The DA official said the agency is in talks with FTI for the second cycle of onion supply to be sold at Kadiwa stores.

“We’re in the second week of January… We also took into consideration that the price will go down,” she said.

Kadiwa stores sell red and white onions at only P170 per kilo, compared to P600 to P700 per kilo at several Metro Manila markets.

Evangelista said the DA is monitoring the farm-gate price of onions, saying it receives reports that farmgate prices of the commodity go as low as P210 to P250 per kilo.

She said it is possible that the onions to be sold at Kadiwa stores for the second cycle would be cheaper.

“But, if we're going to partner with FTI, this is something we have to discuss with them… We are exploring all options, where we can get onions the soonest, and the most prudent way,” she added.—With Sundy Locus/AOL, GMA Integrated News