INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The government is considering the importation of red onions if the need to build a buffer stock arises, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) said on Friday.
In a Zoom interview, BPI Assistant Division Chief of National Plant Quarantine Services Division Henrick Exconde said there was no definite plan yet to import red onions because the Philippines is assured of ample supply until mid-December.
“Actually, we are monitoring the situation on the ground and once we gather all the information, we will conduct stakeholders’ consultation to verify the information on the available stocks,” he said.
The BPI is also evaluating the existing inventory to determine whether or not to import red onions to ensure that Filipino consumers have enough supply of this commodity, especially during the holiday season.
If authorized, Exconde said the country might need to import 34,000 metric tons of red onions good for two months.
On a monthly basis, per capita consumption for red and yellow onions is placed at 17,000 MT and 4,500 MT, respectively.
As of now, the Philippines is procuring imported yellow onions. Citing data, Exconde said the volume of yellow onion imports reached 4,313.56 MT as of Aug. 3.
This is equivalent to 36.4 percent of the 240 sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances issued by the BPI for the importation of 11,835 MT of yellow onions.
Exconde explained that the government authorized the importation of red and yellow onions on a regular basis to complement or plug any supply gap ahead of the harvest season.