Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 11) – A lawmaker and a farmers’ group on Wednesday questioned the timing of importation of onions approved by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as the government hopes to address the high prices of the commodity.
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“I think this is a wrong timing because farmers of onions said that yung kanilang paga-ani ay (their harvesting period is) January to February up to March. Sana ginanap yan noong (This should have been done) November or December,” ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
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She also asked if Marcos, who is also Agriculture chief, consulted the farmers prior to approving the importation of 21,060 metric tons (MT) of onions.
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The imported supply is expected to arrive anytime between later this month to the first week of February.
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Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) president Rosendo So made the same comment and pointed out that harvest season for onion farmers is expected to peak from third week of January to April, with a projected local harvest of around 18,000 to 20,000 MT enough for local consumption.
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READ: PH to import 21,060 MT of onions, fewer than earlier eyed
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Allowing imports should have been done during the latter part of 2022 when only 2% of the farmers harvested, he added.
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So said imports will be of no help since they really expect prices to drop as more onions are harvested.
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READ: EXPLAINER: Why onions in PH are now more expensive than meat
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Castro and So also said this move will only put local farmers at a disadvantage since this can lower their profits.
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“Kung bumaba yan ng ₱40 farmgate price, lugi na ang magsasaka. Yung ₱40 is around, per hectare mga ₱400,000 ang makukuha lang nila pero ang puhunan umaabot ng ₱650,000 per hectare so malulugi ang magsasaka,” the SINAG executive explained.
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[Translation: If that will decrease by ₱40 at farmgate price, farmers will be at a loss. That ₱40 is around, per hectare what they will get is only ₱400,000, but the capital reaches ₱650,000 per hectare so farmers are really at a loss.]
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Castro said the House of Representatives will look into the problem for possible manipulation of prices and the existence of a cartel.
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So said SINAG will try to ask DA not to import a large volume of onions since farmers are set to harvest.
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He also said he supports a probe by lawmakers because there are indeed traders who manipulated the prices.
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On Tuesday, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said his office will investigate the high cost of onions, including the possible involvement of traders in price manipulation.
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Reacting to the Ombudsman’s move, Castro said in a statement this should have been done earlier not only for onion, but also for other commodities like sugar, fish, and rice.
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The issue is nothing new, with previous investigations revealing that the commodity sector in the country is prone to anti-competitive behavior, she added.
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The lawmaker also noted that cases filed in the past and recommendations made including amending the import permit system seem to have led to nothing since the “onion cartel is back again in full force and raking in humongous profits.”
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“We hope that the Ombudsman’s probe would be more thorough and those responsible would truly be held to account,” Castro added.
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Slow down
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Amid the rushed importation spurred by soaring prices, Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday reminded authorities to slow down and be cautious on the targeted amount of imported onions in the country.
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“It’s best to wait and see,” Hontiveros said. “Malapit na ang anihan ng ating mga magsasaka at magpapatuloy ito hanggang Abril. Kung maganda ang ani tulad noong nakaraang taon, baka hindi naman kailangan na 22,000 metric tons ang sibuyas na aangkatin.”
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[Translation: It’s best to wait and see. Our farmers’ harvest is almost here and it will continue until April. If the harvest is as good as last year, it may not be necessary to import 22,000 metric tons of onions.]
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“Baka naman pwedeng kalahati lamang ng authorized amount ni Presidente ang dapat ma-import, lalo na kung maging masagana ang makukuha natin sa Nueva Ecija at Mindoro,” the senator added. “Pwede namang hindi itodo.”
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[Translation: Maybe only half of the President’s authorized amount should be imported, especially if we get plenty from Nueva Ecija and Mindoro. Maybe not that much.]
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On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel also warned that onion importation will coincide with the local harvest season.
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READ: Pimentel: Importation will coincide with local onion harvest
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Hontiveros said it may be best for authorities to observe local farmers’ onion harvests next week before making any drastic moves.
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Based on the latest price monitoring of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the price of local red onion as of Jan. 11 is from ₱350 to ₱550 per kilogram.
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The senator also said the authorization to import came in too late, more than two months after the’ “Noche Buena” food planning of families.
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A few weeks ago, during the holiday season, the price of onion climbed to ₱500 to ₱600 per kilogram in some local markets.
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“The importation is obviously being done belatedly,” Hontiveros also said. “The imports should have been authorized two months ago in time for the holidays. This error is unforgivable. The BPI (Bureau of Plant ndustry) and the DA wrongly predicted that the December domestic supplies would be enough to cover the demand.”
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Pimentel and Hontiveros urged agricultural authorities to improve their data collection on onions and thoroughly study the national demand for the product.
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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 (the DA) should give us accurate data because if the information is wrong, the numbers are wrong, our decisions are also wrong.]
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