Rosendo So, president of Samahang Industriya at Agrikultura (Sinag), emphasized the need to import white onions as he confirmed its shortage in the country.

So said the shortage of white onions was discussed during a meeting between the farmers group, importers, and retailers.

"Based on the meeting we really have a shortage in white onions, but the red onion (we still have supply) up to December or January. So we will see the pizza that previously used white onion, they changed it now," he said.

"We request if they can temporarily use the red onion, but there is really a shortage of white onion, maybe we will import that," he added.

In a radio interview last Friday, Arnel Llamas, general manager of Katipunan ng Samahang Magsisibuyas in Nueva Ecija, said their storage facility had run out of white onions last month.

"In the case of red onions, based on our last meeting with the (Bureau of) Plant Industry, the supply will last until the middle of December," he said.

Llamas said the harvest season of onions, with a storage life of three months, varies per province but it usually begins in the second week of January until February. Robina Asido/DMS