As the harvest season in February approaches, the farmgate price of onions is expected to decline, according to a projection by the Federation of Free Farmers Cooperatives Inc.

According to the farmers’ group, onions in most areas are presently priced at P50 to P60 per kilo.

“[At] P60, that’s okay, they still get it back. At the price level today, that’s still high. In March and April, that will decrease with the number of people who planted,” said FFFCI national manager Raul Montemayor.

“I think that’s a break-even, P30 per kilo. Even at P60, that’s okay. If that still falls during peak harvest, it’s a problem for the farmers,” he added, expressing worry about importations that may cause an onion surplus.

The Department of Agriculture earlier announced a temporary import ban on onions until May, which may be extended to July depending on whether the domestic harvest will be sufficient to meet local demand.

This is following the agency’s forecast of a supply glut due to the rise in domestic harvest and the delayed arrival of imported onions in the first weeks of January.

Moreover, the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. also anticipates an influx after an additional 40 percent of the land area was dedicated to onion farming.

It added that a harvest glut is at hand as the armyworm infestation in some areas of Central Luzon is likely to damage only around five percent of standing crops.