The Philippine government will import more than 20,000 metric tons of red and white onions from three countries including China, to prevent prices from skyrocketing like last year.

In December 2022, onion prices soared to P720 a kilo surpassing even the daily minimum wage in Metro Manila of P570. Current prices of red onions range from P130 to P220 a kilo while white onions fetch P100 to P160 a kilo, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

In a statement, the DA said that the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) will be issuing Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) for the importation of fresh onions starting this November.

"The volume to be imported for fresh red onion is 17,000.00 MT and for fresh yellow onion is 4,000.00 MT which will be sourced from China, India, and Netherlands," it stated.

"These volumes are based on the per capita consumption of the country and will serve as buffer to stabilize prices in the market prior to peak harvest of local produce on March-April 2024," it added.

The agriculture stressed that the importation is the intervention of the government "to guarantee an ample supply amidst the increasing demand by the forth coming holiday season and to ensure the public that last year's Scenario on the absurd increase in price would not be repeated."

It noted that "all imported fresh onions are required to arrive in the country on or before December 31, 2023 to guarantee our local producers that it will not coincide with the upcoming harvest."

"Extension of the must arrive date will still subject to change depending on the available stocks and prices in the market," it added. Robina Asido/DMS