Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 9) — Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel warned that importing onions now will coincide with the local supply, as a time lag in placing the order will push the arrival in time for harvest season.
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“There is always a time lag. If we authorize importation now, the actual importation will happen maybe weeks or months later. That will coincide with locally produced onions,” Pimentel told CNN Philippines’ The Final Word.
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The Department of Agriculture (DA) in a radio interview earlier said it plans to import at least 22,000 metric tons of onions to address the spike in prices.
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Pimentel said agriculture officials should “not fall into the trap” of using importation to end the price surge.
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“It looks like we allowed the hoarders, the illegal importers and the price fixers to profit from the peak season… And now, if we agree, we will bite into the trap and we now agree with the importation of onions, we will now be affecting the local farmers,” Pimentel said.
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The senator said the cartels and the people behind them should be further investigated rather than resort to importation.
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He urged the DA to continue studying the situation and asked the department to accurately record data and information on the national demand for onions and how much should be locally produced.
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“They (the DA) should give us accurate data kasi kung mali ang information, mali ang numbers, mali rin po ang decisions natin,” Pimentel said.
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[Translation: They should give us accurate data because if the information is wrong, the numbers are wrong, then the decisions will also be wrong.]
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The Makabayan bloc of the House of Representatives previously filed a resolution to investigate the possible price manipulation and overpricing of onions, which recently sold for up to ₱800 per kilogram.
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