SHORTAGE Off-season in onion production in Luzon has led to a shortage of supply and price increase in Mindanao’s markets. WILLIE LOMIBAO
KORONADAL CITY—Supply shortfall has triggered prices of onion to rise steeply in different parts of Mindanao, Department of Agriculture (DA) officials said on Wednesday.
Harmie Hechanova, high value crops program coordinator of the DA in Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos) region, said the agency’s agribusiness and marketing assistance service activated its “bantay presyo” (price watch) to monitor the prices of the commodity not just in the region but also in other parts of Mindanao.
“Prices of onion in various parts of Mindanao spiked these days due to lack of supply from Luzon. We are dependent on Luzon. Most of Mindanao is not suitable for onion production,” he told the Inquirer.The regional agriculture office started a price monitoring after receiving a complaint about the skyrocketing prices of onions coursed through Hotline 8888, the national government’s citizens complaint help desk.
An Inquirer monitoring showed the price of medium-sized onions was at P95 a kilogram in late October in some areas in the region, including the cities of Koronadal, Tacurong and Kidapawan.
Citing their monitoring, Hechanova said the price of medium to large onions in the region reached P180 to P240 per kilo.
In the Davao, Caraga and Bangsamoro regions, onion prices also surged to P200 to P250 per kilo, depending on the sizes, he added.
Off-seasonHechanova said they were still trying to contact their counterparts in Northern Mindanao and Western Mindanao to compare the prices of onions there.According to Edgar Allan Pasaol, DA regional information officer, onion production in the country is currently off-season.This is why Hechanova expects the high prices of onions to linger until March next year, when Luzon farmers will start to harvest the crop.
He said the DA would check the availability of imported onions in Luzon for possible shipment to Mindanao to address the skyrocketing prices.Hechanova warned local retailers to follow the suggested retail prices set by the Department of Trade and Industry, otherwise they could be penalized for overpricing.
Crop conversion
Soccsksargen could have cushioned the drastic increase in onion prices if not for crop conversion, Hechanova said.
The region had at least 400 hectares of onion farms in 2012 but farmers decided to shift to banana with the expansion of agribusiness firms in the area, he said.
Hechanova said Barangay San Jose in General Santos City used to be a major producer of onions.
The DA had been talking to farmers in General Santos to encourage them to revert to onion production so the region would not be dependent on Luzon for the commodity.