Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 10) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the importation of 21,060 metric tons (MT) of onions, fewer by a thousand MT recommended by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
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The department, which previously sought the importation of 22,000 MT, made the announcement on Tuesday amid soaring prices of the produce.
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Agriculture Assistant Secretary Rex Estoperez told a public briefing that application for importation started on Monday and will end on Jan. 13.
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The supply is expected to arrive later this month or the first week of February, he noted.
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Estoperez said this should not exceed the period since the local harvest of onion is seen to peak from mid-February to May
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He said the DA hopes that prices will soon decline to the ₱150 to ₱200 per kilo range amid the harvest season.
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Based on its latest price monitoring, the department noted that the average price of a kilogram of red onion in Metro Manila markets ranges from ₱480 to ₱600.
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The Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday said it will investigate agriculture officials over soaring onion prices.
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In December, the department set the suggested retail price of red onions at ₱250 per kilogram as its cost continued to shoot up, even topping ₱700.
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Senate Minority leader Koko Pimentel criticized the move to import onions, noting its negative impact on the income of local farmers.
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“There is always a time lag,” he said. “If we authorize importation now, the actual importation will happen maybe weeks or months later. That will coincide with the availability of locally produced onions.”
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The senator also questioned why it took so long for the DA – which is headed by President Marcos as secretary – to decide on the matter when it could have been implemented during the off season.
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“It looks like we allowed the hoarders, the illegal importers and the price fixers to profit from the peak season of Christmas,” Pimentel said.
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“Now, we will bite into the trap and if we now agree with the importation of onions, we will now be affecting the local farmers,” he also said.
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