Philippines suspends importation of onion until May

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has ordered a temporary suspension of onion importation until May. In a statement on Friday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Laurel issued the order “to prevent further depressing onion prices due to supply glut.” The agency said the increased supply has pushed down farm gate prices of onion between P50 and P70 a kilo, and could fall further when more onions are harvested in February. In some areas in Nueva Ecija, which accounts for 97% of onion production in Luzon, farm gate prices have dropped to as low as P20 a kilo, it said. Laurel met representatives of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI), on Thursday, to discuss the surge in domestic supply of onion due to fresh harvest and arrival of additional supply imported in December, according to the DA. Among the culprit for the supply glut was the delayed arrival of 99 tons of onion imported in December, which now entered the country between January 1 and ...