Occ. Mindoro farmers urge gov't to halt onion importation amid harvest season

Farmers in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro on Tuesday called on the government to stop the impending importation of onions as the harvest season is about to start.

Interviewed on GMA News' Unang Balita, San Jose municipal agriculturist Romel Calingasan said they are worried that onion prices would drop to P8 to P15 per kilogram like last year when importation coincided with local harvest.

"Actually, kami sa kasalukuyan ngayon dito sa Occidental Mindoro, ay kasalukuyang nasa peak season ng pagtatanim. Kitang-kita ko po ang enerhiya, ang pagiging agresibo ng aming magsasaka na magtanim ng sibuyas dahil mataas ang presyo sa merkado," Calingasan said.

(Actually, we are currently in the peak of the planting season here in Occidental Mindoro. I can clearly see the energy, the eagerness of our farmers to plant onions because the prices in the market are high.)

"Subalit bigla itong nawala… biglang nawala sa momentum ang aming magsasaka dahil sa nabalitaan nga po na magi-import na naman ng sibuyas ang national government kaya mariin naming tinututulan ito dahil ito na naman ang magpapadapa sa ating magsasakang Pilipino," he added.

(But the momentum was lost because of the news that the national government is going to import onions again. We strongly oppose this because this will affect the Filipino farmers.)

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Sunday defended the importation of onions, saying the government had "no choice" but to import, given the gap between production and local demand.

However, Marcos said the administration is looking for ways to increase the production of onions and other products in order to avoid importing them.

While the farmers in San Jose vowed to continue planting onions despite the issues they face, Calingasan said they are also asking the government to regulate onion prices in markets.

"Atin pong i-regulate itong pagbentahan ng sibuyas sa merkado para mas maraming consumers at mamamayan nating nating Pilipino ay makinabang din po. Pero mariin inaano namin 'yung sobrang pagtaas. 'Yung P500 to P700 per kilo ay sobrang kalabisan na po 'yan," he said.

(Let's regulate the price of onions in the market so that more consumers and Filipinos can will benefit. But we strongly disagree with the excessive increase in prices. The P500 to P700 per kilo is too much.)

During a Senate hearing on Monday, Calingasan expressed dismay after learning that the onions they sold at a farm gate price of P8 to P15 per kilogram during the harvest season were being sold at around P700 per kilogram in Metro Manila at the end of the year.

Currently, Calingasan said that the farm gate price of onions in their area is at P200 to P250 per kilo. With this pricing, he said onions should only be sold up to P270/kg in Metro Manila. —KBK, GMA Integrated News