Philippines to import red onions amid high prices
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government said Friday it approved the importation of red onions in a bid to tame high prices in the market.
At a press conference, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said he greenlighted the purchase of 35,000 metric tons of red onions from abroad to plug a two-month production gap.
Dar said the imported red onions will arrive only until mid-February to avoid the harvest season and competition with local farmers.
One of the sources of imported red onions is China.
Latest market monitoring from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that price of red onions is at a high of P195 per kilogram for wholesale.
For retail, prices range from P180 to P260 per kilo. In supermarkets, prices range from P150 to P200 a kilo.
It was in March when the DA suspended the importation of onions. Last April, the country’s production of bulb onion increased by about 70 percent of the total national requirement, satisfying household consumption for the first time. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral with reports from TV5/Shyla Franciso and The STAR/Louise Maureen Simeon
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