Red onion imports not deemed ‘overwhelming,’ Agri dep’t says

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said imported red onion stocks currently in cold storage are not sufficient to drive down farmgate prices, contrary to farmer claims.

“The numbers show that current stocks from imports are not overwhelming the market but merely plugging a supply gap,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said in a statement on Sunday.

The DA said Mr. Laurel ordered a review of onion stocks after producers in Nueva Ecija reported that imported supplies were piling up in warehouses in Central Luzon and dragging down farmgate prices.

The Bureau of Plant Industry reported that as of Feb. 13, its survey of 82% of cold storage facilities found inventories of 4,454 metric tons (MT) of red onion and 5,271 MT of yellow onion, most of which were imported.

The DA said red onion stocks are projected to be sufficient until Feb. 19, with yellow onion adequate until March 15.

The DA said around 8,000 MT of red onions covered by valid import clearances are still expected to arrive by mid-February. However, it estimates that, even if all shipments arrive, imports are likely good until March 6, just as the harvest starts to peak.

“We are taking a closer look at why onion prices are falling at this time of the year, as claimed by farmers,” Mr. Laurel said.

The DA said it will inspect cold storage facilities, including those it funded, and urged farmers to use available storage to extend shelf life and better time the release of their harvest to avoid market oversupply. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel