The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday urged traders and farmers to bring the initial harvests of onion directly to local markets instead of cold storages to prevent further surges in retail prices.

DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said this will help stabilize prices in local markets while awaiting the peak harvest season and the arrival of “tactical” onion imports.

“We call on to our farmers and traders of onions during this harvest season, for the initial harvest… to go directly to the market and not in storages,” he said in a media interview in Filipino.

Tiu Laurel said farmers and traders may bring supply to cold storage once the country approaches the peak harvest, which was earlier projected to be from late March until April.

The DA earlier approved the “tactical” importation of 4,000 metric tons (MT) of red and white onions to cover the supply gap in February, lower than the reported deficit of 7,000 MT per Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).

“In the 4,000 MT that we have opened up, the actual importers who have taken up only booked 3,000 MT,” Tiu Laurel said.

“The importers are also cautious because they know that we are nearing the harvest," he added.

The agriculture chief said retail prices of onion should not go beyond P200 per kilogram.

“So the imported onions are yet to arrive. Hopefully, the prices will go down again to P140, P130, P120… It should not increase P200,” Tiu Laurel said.

Prices of local red onions in Metro Manila, however, range from P120 to P250/kg; while the prices of local white onions vary from P120 to P140/kg as of Monday, according to the DA Bantay Presyo (price watch).

In 2022, the country hit a record-high price of retail onion at P720/kg.

DA PHOTO