Philippines to import 4,000 metric tons of onions in October, November

MANILA, Philippines—With the supply of yellow and white onions almost gone, the Philippine government said it would import nearly 4,000 metric tons in October and November.

The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry said it has signed import permits for 3,796 metric tons of white and yellow onions from China and The Netherlands.

“There is virtually no more white onions in the market,” BPI director Clarito Baron said in a media interview. Baron noted that onions tend to be low in the months leading to December, the holiday season.

The low supply has led to spikes in the price of white onions, he said.

A kilo of it retails between P70-P80. The regular price of a kilo of white onion should be between P45-50. The first batch of onions should be in the market before Oct. 15. “In three weeks, the supply will be stable,” Baron said. The country has enough supply of red onions, Baron said, noting that vegetable producers and traders have a total of 500,000 bags each containing 26 kilos of onions in the warehouses.

The Philippines’ monthly requirement of onions is at 8,000 metric tons.