The Department of Agriculture announced on Friday the importation ban of onion until May, but may be extended to July, depending on whether its domestic harvest is sufficient to meet local demands, the agency noted.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. said this implementation is to stop the high-value crop surplus from further driving down its prices.

The agriculture chief met with the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc, or PCAFI, on Thursday to discuss the increase in onion domestic supply following fresh harvest and the arrival of additional supply imported last month where 99 tons of onion were imported between 1 and 15 January due to shipment delays.

“In principle, I agree with no onion importation until July. But that is on condition that if there is a sudden supply shortfall, we will have to import earlier,” said Laurel.

“We don't know what will happen because of El Nino.”

PCAFI said they expect a supply glut after an additional 40 percent of the land area was devoted to the cultivation of onions, furtherly noting that a harvest glut is impending as the armyworms infestation in some areas in Tarlac and Nueva Ecija is likely to damage only around five percent of standing crops.

According to DA, high onion supply caused its prices to hit low between P50 and P70 per kilo, and ‘could be cheaper when more onions are harvested in February.

“In some areas in Nueva Ecija, which accounts for 97 percent of onion production in Luzon, prices have dropped to as low as P20 a kilo,” said the agency. “Luzon produces 65 percent of local onion supply.”

In December 2022, prices of onion surged to a record high of P720 per kilo due to limited supply, DA noted.

The Bureau of Plant Industry earlier reported that out of 10,217 hectares of onion farmlands, only 366 hectares were affected by armyworm infestation---wherein 6.9 hectares were ‘totally damaged,’ while 359.1 hectares have ‘sustained partial damage.’

Laurel and PCAFI will meet every 45 days to review supply situation and volume and 'recalibrate the import schedule,' said the agency.

They are set to meet again early in March.