Ecija execs seek probe of onion smuggling

BONGABON, NUEVA ECIJA — Smuggled onions from India might soon flood the local market, prompting officials here to seek help from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to check all incoming shipments declared as agricultural products.

The smuggled bulbs have entered the ports of Davao, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro cities, said Nueva Ecija Rep. Rosanna Vergara.

“We are deeply alarmed that such alleged smuggling incidents coincided with this year’s harvest season. These can adversely affect the livelihood and production of our local farmers, ” Vergara said.

Records from the Department of Agriculture showed that onion production in Nueva Ecija province accounted for 54 percent of the country’s annual output.

The average annual local onion production is 130,452 metric tons while the average import is 28,986 MT.

In this town alone, dubbed as onion basket of the country, some 2,300 hectares of farmland were planted with onions in 2019, the municipal agriculture office said.

InvestigationVergara wrote Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero on July 3, asking the BOC to investigate reports of onion smuggling to safeguard the local onion industry from threats of illegal importation.

“[The BOC should also] protect the welfare of both farmers and consumers, especially during this crucial time in our history,” she said.

In June, Mayor Allan Xystus Gamilla alerted Agriculture Secretary William Dar and Guerrero on the smuggling, as it threatened the onion industry in areas such as Pangasinan, Mindoro and Tarlac.

In the past, smuggling of onions had led to a glut in the market that forced farmers to sell their harvest at low prices. —ARMAND GALANG