House monitors onion farmers against manipulative traders

FILE: Onions, no matter the size, remain the top seller of the Kadiwa store at the Department of Agriculture central office along Elliptical Road in Diliman, Quezon City on Saturday (Jan. 14, 2023). (PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)

MANILA – The House of Representatives is closely monitoring local onion farmers to ensure adequate supply and maintain price stability.

The House Committee on Agriculture is coordinating with other government agencies to find measures to combat hoarding and price manipulation of onion.

“Amin pong tinitignan ngayon ang kalagayan ng ating mga local onion farmers, na tila patuloy na pinagsasamantalahan ng mga trader sa paghakot ng kanilang pananim sa ‘di makatarungang halaga (We are looking at the state of our local onion farmers, who are constantly being exploited by traders hoarding the crop at an unfair price),” House Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo said in a news release on Monday.

Tulfo said there is a need to actively seek out and police traders who take advantage of unwitting local farmers, ultimately affecting market prices.

To monitor onion prices, Tulfo said lawmakers would have to conduct surprise inspections in local markets and warehouses anew.

He said they are also considering proposals to import onions to stabilize prices.

As of April 5, the Department of Agriculture Bantay Presyo (price watch) said the prevailing price of local red onions is pegged at PHP68 to PHP130 per kilogram (kg) and PHP60 to PHP120/kg for local white onions.

In December 2022, prices of onion surged to a record high of PHP720 a kilo due to tight supply.