May 22 ----- ONIONS to be imported by the Philippines should come in within the end of May to control local prices of the bulbs from further increasing, the deputy spokesman for the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
"We're thinking that within this month, we have to [do the importation]," Rex Estoperez added. He said prices will keep on rising if the importation takes longer. Estoperez also said the import volume will depend on the department's partners and stakeholders. "If they want to hold on to their cold storages and stocks then what, what we'll only do is to lower the prices," he added.
The retail price of red onions reached P500 to P700 per kilo in markets around Metro Manila in December 2022. Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura Executive Director Jayson Cainglet said his group suggested to import 8,000 metric tons (MT) of white onions, based on data presented by the Bureau of Plant Industry and on production reports of farmers last year. "Fortunately, the BPI listened to us this time, unlike last year where traders and importers are the ones they attended to," Cainglet also said. He added that the onions should be imported by July.
Earlier, the BPI said implementing a suggested retail price (SRP) for onions is appropriate with the increasing prices of the commodity. BPI spokesman Jose Diego Roxas said the Agriculture department is looking into the application of SRP to stabilize the prices of onions. Roxas added that the department is coordinating with local government units and local price coordinating councils to establish the SRP.
Estoperez noted the smuggling accusations between traders and DA officials. "We cannot conclude on that, that's always an assumption," he said. There is agri-commodities smuggling, there's an accomplice. Who? We have to verify who it is," Estoperez added. He said the issue has not been addressed for a long time. He also said DA Assistant Secretary James Layug is coordinating with other agencies to implement policies and laws against smuggling.
Source: manilatimes.net
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