Agri sector party-list calls on gov’t to fund storage facilities for Nueva Ecija onions
A PARTY-LIST group representing the agricultural sector called on the government to provide more storage facilities in Nueva Ecija, one of the biggest onion producers in the country, to help farmers manage their harvest and stabilize local supply.
“The DA (Department of Agriculture) said there are no funds to set up more cold storage facilities. What they do is they link the farmer directly to the trader,” Magsasaka Rep. Argel T. Cabatbat said in Filipino in a statement on Wednesday.
“In that case, the trader has an opportunity to pinch the price. And the farmers have no choice but to follow (and sell their goods) at a bargain price.”
The Magsasaka party-list also urged the DA to regulate importation, prevent smuggling of agricultural products, and strengthen agencies to prevent wastage of local products such as onions.
“There’s the strengthening of the campaign against smuggling of agricultural products,” Mr. Cabatbat said. “If the government slows down on its importation of onions and other products from other countries then it will benefit our Filipino farmers.”
Mr. Cabatbat also urged consumers to patronize local farm products to prevent oversupply.
“If consumers choose local crops, then there won’t be an oversupply and the efforts of the farmers won’t go to waste,” he said.
Onions are grown in 22 provinces in the country and Nueva Ecija is known as the onion capital of the Philippines.
The DA announced earlier this month that it has allocated an additional P94.6 million this year under its High-Value Crops Development Program to boost onion production.
According to the DA, the production of onions fell by 11,000 metric tons last year from its 2020 level.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar recently met with onion farmers in Nueva Ecija and Mindoro who complained that the farm gate price of their produce has been decreasing due to the influx of imported onions sold at a cheaper price.
Mr. Dar promised that the department would boost monitoring of imports and establish more cold storage facilities. — Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan
