DA sees lower SRP for onions by second week of January

MANILA, Philippines – A lower suggested retail price (SRP) for onions may soon be set by the second week of January, said the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Agriculture Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Kristine Evangelista on Monday said the P250 per kilogram SRP for onions expired on Saturday, Jan 7, calling for the need to consult with onion farmers, traders and retailers to set a new SRP.

READ: DA sets prices of red onion at P250 per kilo until 1st week of January

“Dapat kasi bababa base doon sa aming pag-uusap noong Disyembre dahil magkakaroon na ng harvest. Mas marami nga na harvest ang sabi ng ating magsasaka sa second week of January. So inaasahan na bababa ang farmgate price at kapag bumaba ang farmgate price, may epekto po iyan sa retail [price] kung saan babantayan naman po natin,” she said over TeleRadyo’s Kabayan.

(Based on our last meeting in December, we were expecting  prices to go down because of the start of the harvest season.   More harvest will come in the second week of January, according to our farmers. So we’re expecting a decline in the farmgate price and if the farmgate price is lower, this will have an effect on our retail price, which we’ll be monitoring.)

Still citing their meeting with stakeholders last month, Evangelista noted that the SRP for onions should be able to hit about P200 by the second week of January.

“Pero hindi naganap iyong P250 [SRP] so kailangan natin balikan at kausapin muli ang ating mga onion farmer kung ano talaga ang dahilan, then we can come up with interventions na nararapat para bumaba ang presyo,” Evangelista added.

(But since the P250 SRP wasn’t followed, we would need to go back and talk to our onion farmers again to discuss the reasons, then come up with necessary interventions to pull the prices down.)

Based on the DA’s  price monitoring as of Thursday, Jan 5, local red onions cost between P280 and P650 per kilo, while local white onion was at P400 to P600 per kilo.

The DA earlier warned that if the “out of control” increase in the cost of onions continues, it may soon resort to importation as a “band-aid solution.”

But it remains hopeful that the nearing harvest season for onion, which is expected to yield 19,000 metric tons, will help knock down the prices of the agricultural commodity.

READ: DA: ‘Out of control’ rise in price of onion may force PH to import