P2.589-M worth of onions sold directly to buyers, cutting off middlemen  — DA

THEY’RE HERE Truck helpers unload imported onions so these can be stored in a warehouse in Divisoria, Manila, in this file photo taken in January 2023. INQUIRER file photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — Cutting off middlemen and going directly to industrial buyers, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported P2.589 million worth of onions sold from farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs).

“In line with his vision of increasing farmers’ and fishers’ income, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the [DA] to directly link food producers to consumers and institutional buyers, thereby removing the middlemen,” said the agency in a statement.

Onion prices skyrocketed to P700 per kilogram during the holiday season, prompting the DA to take action.

READ: Onion prices worldwide much lower, deepen questions on incredulous costs in PH

“About P2.589 million worth of onions have been sold by the FCAs to institutional buyers from September 2022 to January 24, 2023, composed of 3,478 kilograms of red onions worth P755,455 and 5,106.38 kilograms of white onions worth P1.833 million,” said the DA.

The onions were bought from different areas across the country, through the initiative of the DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service, said the agency.

The DA also said it aided social enterprise RiceUp Farmers, Inc. by providing it P1 million in financial grants, as well as a P1.325 million-worth four-wheel truck.

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