Another increase on the suggested retail price (SRP) of red onions is expected before the year ends as the Department of Agriculture (DA) proposed to raise it from ₱170 to P250 per kilo starting Dec. 30.

In an interview, DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista disclosed that the agency made the recommendation following a meeting with stakeholders.

This increase, however, is still much lower than the prices of red onions currently being sold, soaring up to ₱720 per kilo in some markets, as of press time.

“We have set an SRP but how can you enforce this when the supply is thin? We have supply but not so much that we can flood the market as we wish to pull the prices down," said DA Deputy Spokesperson Rex Estoperez.

Interventions eyed

Reaching up to P500 per kilo in Metro Manila during Christmas week, the increase in prices of red onions continue to make consumers suffer amid the holidays.

To lessen the struggles, the DA is now looking into more interventions in the supply chain to lower the prices of red onions.

"We have to address that also, kung papaanong intervention ang gagawin ng Department of Agriculture sa production areas (We have to address that also and determine what interventions must DA take in the production areas)," Estoperez said.

"Tinitingnan natin kung saan tayo nagkukulang, even though alam natin there are imperfections sa sistema natin... May mga kailangan tayong intervention, lalong-lalo na doon sa atin pong value chain (We want to determine where we have been falling short, even though we know there are imperfections in our system. We need interventions, especially in our value chain)," he added.

At present, agriculture officials are looking into interventions like credit for farmers, logistics and transportation assistance, aid on cold storages and packaging, among others.

Meanwhile, despite having no estimated onion harvests for 2023 at the moment, the official maintained that country has enough supply of onion and the agency is not yet considering importation.