The Department of Agriculture (DA) is considering extending the import ban on onions due to the sizable yield this harvest season.

"We will extend the ban on onion importation maybe until July or longer,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said, noting that cold storage warehouses in onion-producing areas are full.

“[Onion] prices are stable. So, there is no reason to import,” he added.

In January, the DA imposed 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.

According to DA, onion growers have increased this year's areas planted with the root vegetable by 40 percent to around 10,217 hectares.

Enough onion supply

In February, Agriculture spokesperson Asec. Arnel de Mesa expressed optimism about the sufficient supply of onions this year despite the reports of armyworm infestations in several areas in Central Luzon.

According to him, the harabas has modestly affected its yield but was able to mitigate its impacts due to the multisectoral pro-active efforts, saying that "we’re expecting positive production for the year.”

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Plant Industry recently reported that the harabas have affected over 12,137.92 hectares (ha) of onion plantations, of which 674.10 ha were totally damaged.

Hence, government interventions, including pest management activities, like the provision of technical assistance, pheromone lures, biological control agents, biopesticides, and synthetic pesticides to control the pest, were implemented in coordination with local government units to ensure farmers' productivity amid the pest challenge.

Based on DA’s latest price watch, the local red onion retail price in major wet markets in Metro Manila is P70 to P150 per kilo, while the local white onion is P60 to P130 per kilo.

Prices for imported red and white onions are unavailable.