Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 28) — The suggested retail price (SRP) of red onions may be raised to ₱250 per kilogram beginning Dec. 30, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday.
DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista told CNN Philippines that such a recommendation was raised after the department held a meeting with stakeholders.
She said this may take effect on Dec. 30, Friday.
The proposal is higher than the ₱170-per-kilo SRP which the DA set in October.
Despite fixing an SRP, however, red onions actually sell for much higher — soaring to up to ₱720 per kilo as of Wednesday.
“May SRP tayo na sinet, pero ‘yung enforcement, how can you enforce kung manipis ang suplay? We have the supply, pero hindi ganoon karami na we can flood the market just to bring down the prices,” DA deputy spokesperson Rex Estoperez said.
[Translation: We have set an SRP, but how can you enforce this when supply is thin? We have the supply, but not so much that we can flood the market just to bring down the prices.]
Earlier, the department said it expects onion supply to increase and prices to go down during the peak harvest season from March to April.
CNN Philippines Correspondent Currie Cator contributed to this report.
