Imee: Onion import plan major blow vs farmers
More than 43 percent of red onion harvests in the next three months will take place in December
Daily TribuneMore than 43 percent of red onion harvests in the next three months will take place in December
The government's plan to import at least 7,000 metric tons of red onions which will coincide with the harvest of local onion farmers this month is alarming, Senator Imee Marcos said on Thursday.
In a statement, Imee stressed that farmers from at least eight provinces are already preparing to harvest by the second week of December.
She noted that these farmers are from Regions 1, 2, and 3, particularly in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Batanes, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya and Tarlac.
"More than 43 percent of red onion harvests in the next three months will take place in December, with Mindoro's harvests to follow in January," Senator Marcos said, citing the Bureau of Plant Industry's November monitoring report on onions both planted and stored in previous months.
Harvest to cover shortfall
The report showed an expected yield of 5,537.3 MT of red onions in December, out of the total expected yield of 12,837.9 MT until February next year.
However, the BPI said that the sum of next month's expected yield plus the 13,043.37 MT in monitored stock still points to a December supply shortage due to crop damage from typhoon "Paeng" in October and increasing consumer demand toward the Holiday Season.
The Department of Agriculture, which is concurrently chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., previously announced its plan to import red onions as retail prices have reached P280 to P400 per kilo.
"Have we forgotten our farmers? High consumer prices are being addressed but what happens to our farmers who are reeling from farmgate prices that are half the production cost?" Imee asked.
"Importation has been part of a cycle of price manipulation by traders in cahoots with corrupt officials in the DA and the Bureau of Customs," she added.
