DA: Imports to stabilize red onion prices by Dec
The Department of Agriculture (DA) expects onion prices to stabilize by December as the bulk of red onion imports begin to arrive. Of the 59,594 metric tons (MTs) expected red onion imports this year, only 11,371 MTs have arrived as of Nov. 13.
The price of red onion has climbed to P280 per kilo, with some imported varieties reaching P300 per kilo due to tightening preharvest supply and a temporary import ban that was enforced until August.
DA spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said the incoming shipments should bring prices down to P120 to P150 per kilo, roughly the same levels back in September.
“The volume of expected imports until the end of the year is enough to cover our requirements, especially during the upcoming holiday season. The prices we are seeing now will go down gradually to P120 to P150 per kilo,” De Mesa said on Wednesday.
No shortage
For November alone, the DA had anticipated the arrival of 18,660 MTs, but only 1,480 MTs have arrived so far.
De Mesa, however, said the current supply situation would not lead to a repeat of the 2022 onion crisis, when retail prices soared to P700 per kilo.
At the time, he noted that the government had failed to clear imports on schedule, contributing to the price surge.
The time, the DA is better prepared with more cold storage facilities to help regulate the release of onions into the market, De Mesa said.
“When the crisis started then, we didn’t have enough cold storage facilities. That is why when the onions were harvested, they were immediately sold to traders who had a lot of control over the supply,” he added.
Despite the thinning local supply, De Mesa insisted there was no actual shortage.
The supply crunch is expected to ease further as the harvest season begins in December and continues through March 2026.
