MANILA – The limited importation of white onions and select vegetables is now under study, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Thursday.
This came after the onslaught of consecutive strong typhoons which affected most of the highland and lowland vegetable-producing regions in Luzon.
“Nakikita ko, kailangan mag-import konti ng white onion dahil tumaas from PHP80 to PHP120 ngayon sa merkado eh dahil sa mga bagyo (We need to import a minimal amount of white onion because the retail prices in the markets rose from PHP80 to PHP120 due to the effects of typhoons),” Tiu Laurel said in an ambush interview.
According to DA-Bantay Presyo (price monitoring), the prevailing price of local white onion in Metro Manila ranges from PHP80 to PHP140 per kg.; while prices of imported medium-size white onion range from PHP65 to PHP160 per kg., as of Wednesday.
In August, the DA approved the importation and by-batch arrivals of 16, 000 metric tons of white onions to ensure a stable domestic supply.
Besides white onions, the DA chief also mentioned the possible importation of vegetables once ongoing assessments show the need.
“Merong problema rin tayo sa carrot konti, tomato at broccoli. May parang limited quantity ng figure. Wala pang final na figures, pinapa-study ko (We have a problem somewhat in carrots, tomatoes, and broccoli. There’s a limited quantity in the figure. There are no final figures yet, I’m having it studied),” Tiu Laurel said.
As of Wednesday, the prices of carrots in Metro Manila jumped to PHP150 to PHP230 per kg., higher than the PHP130 to PHP160 per kg. on October 21;
Tomato prices also soared to PHP150 to PHP230 per kg., from last month’s PHP100 to PHP170 per kg.
Other highland and lowland vegetables also saw price spikes, including ampalaya (bitter gourd), string beans, pechay tagalog, eggplant, green and red bell peppers, white potato, and chayote.
The DA earlier said it plans to source vegetables from the Visayas and Mindanao to help tame soaring prices. (PNA)