Gov’t urged to import white onions by July
T H E S a m a h a n g Industriya ng Agrikultura ( SINAG) c al l ed on t he government to import white onions by July to avert a possible shortage and price increases.
Considering the recent harvest of onions, SINAG c h a i r p e r s o n Ros e n d o So yes t e r day s a i d t he Department of Agriculture ( DA) should no l onger wait for projections before importing onions.
He said t hat f armers f r o m Pa n g a s i n a n a n d Nueva Ecija have finished harvesting onions, and o n l y a f e w l e f t f r o m Mindoro have yet t o be reaped. Most of the stocks were already placed i n cold storage facilities, he added.
“Sa tingin namin, mga J uly dapat pumasok na ‘ yung puting sibuyas para hindi naman maulit i to. Dapat preparado t ayo… Kasi ang puting sibuyas, mga three months lang ang cold storage eh. So by June, dapat naka- prepare na tayo na may pumasok by July,” he said.
B u r e a u o f P l a n t I ndust r y s pokesperson Jose Diego Roxas said on Saturday, May 13, that the supply of white onions i n t he country can l ast unti l September, wh i l e t hat of red onions until November.
I f n e e d e d , h e s a i d onions may be i mported t o a ugment s upply t o ensure prices will remain stable.
As to red onions, So said that importation could be done at a l ater time. He believes that only stocks of white onions will be replenished by July.
Based on the latest price monitoring of the DA, local white and red onions cost P150 to P200 per kilo in select markets i n Metro Manila.
However, the DA said there is no data available as to the price of imported medium- sized white and red onions as they are not currently sold in markets.