By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
After spotting an irregularity in the importation of onions, the Department of Agriculture (D.A.) swiftly ordered an investigation into this discrepancy, which the agency’s officials cite as a contributing factor to the recent spike in retail prices.
This, as the agency monitored a slower usage of red onion import permits compared to those for yellow onions, causing a bottleneck in the supply of red onions in the domestic market.
Since August through November 20, importers have used 443 permits covering 21,145 MT, mostly for yellow onions. By contrast, only 192 red onion Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearances (SPSICs) have been consumed, bringing in 12,824 MT from September until November 20.
It pushed prices of this staple in Filipino kitchens to above P300 per kilo, fueling consumer frustration ahead of the holiday season, when demand typically surges.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. said in a statement, “We want to know the status of those import permits—if they plan to use them. If not, we will cancel the permits and award them to other importers to ensure sufficient domestic supply, especially at this time of year.”
Secretary Tiu-Laurel underscored the urgency of resolving this matter by noting the disparity in demand for red and yellow onions, which sit at 17,000 metric tons and 4,000 metric tons, respectively.
The Agriculture Chief likewise noted that import permits that have not been used will be cancelled and distributed to other importers, including the Food Terminal Inc., to fast-track onion importation to ease supply tightness and lower prices.
This effort by the D.A. is in accordance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s instructions to maintain sufficient supply of food products to ease inflationary pressures on basic commodities.
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