Onion prices up anew
Credit to Author: Bella Cariaso| Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — Retail prices of onions started to go up anew, reaching as high as P200 per kilo, based on latest monitoring of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in at least 13 Metro Manila markets.
The highest retail price of the bulb was P20 more compared to the P180 per kilo sold last Monday, June 26.
The P200 per kilo of onions was monitored in Commonwealth Market in Quezon City.
Based on monitoring of the DA in 13 Metro Manila markets, onions are sold at as high as P180 per kilo at Marikina Public Market; P170 per kilo at Guadalupe Public Market in Makati City; San Andres Market, Quinta Market, Pritil Market in Manila; Muñoz Market in Quezon City, and in Malabon Central Market; P160 per kilo at New Las Piñas City Public Market, Pamilihang Lungsod ng Muntinlupa, Pasay City Market, Pasig City Mega Market and in Mega Q-Mart, Quezon City.
For his part, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) executive director Jayson Cainglet blamed the upward trend in the retail prices of onions on the decision of the DA to postpone the P150 per kilo suggested retail price (SRP) on onions.
“The SRP, as agreed by everyone, including offices within the DA, was postponed since May by the Office of the Secretary. This, despite the fact that the cold storage operators and retailers followed the agreed SRP and cold storage prices,” Cainglet said.
Last month, Agriculture Assistant Secretary and deputy spokesman Rex Estoperez announced the decision of Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban not to sign the draft memorandum order on the SRP for onions which was supposed to take effect on May 22.
“They (DA) even blame onion growers for the price hike despite the fact that harvest season then was over and onions are already in the hands of traders, importers and cold storage operators. We asked the DA then, what will be their alternative for that SRP that everyone in the value chain should follow?” Cainglet added.
The SINAG official said that in the absence of the SRP or any regulation coming from the DA, there will be attempts to manipulate the price of onions just like what happened in December 2022 where the retail price of the bulbs reached as high as P720 per kilo.
“It is happening again. At no point should the retail price of red onions exceed P150 kilo and P140 per kilo for white onions. We have not learned or refused to learn from the onion fiasco last year,” he added.