Bountiful onion harvest in Pangasinan next year

MANILA, Philippines — A bountiful onion harvest is expected in Bayambang, Pangasinan next year after the Department of Agriculture provided farmers with pesticides to avert another armyworm attack.

 Municipal agriculturist Artemio Buezon said red onions planted in October would be harvested by February or March next year.

About 1,500 hectares are planted to red onions and another 80 hectares with white onions, he said.

 A one-hectare onion plantation has a yield of about 15,000 kilograms.

 An onion farmer, who spends as much as P130,000 per hectare, only earns between P50,000 and P100,000 per hectare, Buezon said.

More than 1,000 farmers are growing onions in Bayambang.

Majority of the onion plantation is located in Manambong Sur, Manambong Norte, Manambong Parte, Amancosiling Sur, Amancosiling Norte and San Gabriel.

 Production reaches 20 tons in a single cropping per year, he said.

Buezon said many farmers have become rich by planting  crops.

Farmers are taught how to  improve and protect their produce.

Bayambang is the leading onion producer in Region 1.

Onion harvests in this town are brought to the local market, as well as in other nearby towns and provinces.

 Manila traders also come here to buy their produce, Buezon said.

A kilo of red onions is now selling at P60-P70, he said.

Last year, damages to onion farms were big in this town and in nearby areas planting this crop. This prompted the local government to declare a state of calamity to extend necessary help to affected onion farmers.