DA eyes probe on surging red onion prices

Evangelista said that the agency is still awaiting the BPI report based on inventory in cold storage facilities

The Department of Agriculture said on Monday revealed that it is now working with the Bureau of Plant Industry to assess the supply situation and identify the cause of the recent increase in red onion prices.

During the Laging Handa press briefing, DA Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Kristine Evangelista said retail prices of local red onions ranged from P260 and P300 per kilogram.

When asked about the state of the supply, Evangelista said that the agency is still awaiting the BPI report based on inventory in cold storage facilities.

“To increase supply, we are currently focusing on the volume to be gathered. We are aware that increasing supply will primarily contribute to price stability and a reduction in pricing,” Evangelista said.

She added that farmers anticipate beginning the harvest in December, with some believing it would happen in the second week and others in the last week.

According to Evangelista, the DA is still working to coordinate the harvest timetable for white onions, which is the primary requirement of institutional customers.

“We are expecting our onion farmers to harvest white onions, so we will just see when their harvest will be. The DA is also coordinating with them so that our data does not only come from our food supply outlook but from our farmers themselves,” said Evangelista.

She added that people may get red onions from Kadiwa or the “Katuwang sa Diwa at Gawa para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita” for P170 per kilogram.