DA approves onion imports to fill harvest gap

The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced Thursday it has authorized the importation of red and white onions, with shipments expected to arrive within the next two weeks.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the imports, consisting of 3,000 metric tons (MT) of red onions and 1,000 MT of white onions, are necessary to ensure sufficient buffer stocks until the new harvest season begins.

“We will not risk a potential shortage that unscrupulous traders could exploit to drive up prices, as we saw in the past,” he said, referring to the "2022 crisis" when onion prices spiked to a record high of P700 per kilo due to a supply shortage worsened by delayed imports.

According to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), the monthly consumption of onions is 17,000 MT for red onions and 4,000 MT for white onions.

The DA said that while the inventory of red onions, following a bumper harvest last year, was expected to last until February, the new harvest season is set to begin soon.

As of mid-January, red onion stocks stood at 8,500 MT, while white onion stocks were at 1,628 MT.

Moreover, BPI Director Glenn Panganiban assured that there is still ample supply of onions but said the minimal imports are meant to prevent major price hikes.

“This importation is meant to be a buffer for possible supply gaps. This move is a preemptive measure,” Panganiban added.

BPI projects “several metric tons” of onions will be harvested this month, with around 33,000 MT expected in March.