The Department of Agriculture is projecting a strong harvest of high-quality onions this year, despite the presence of harabas or fall army worms, which have only had a slight impact on yields in Central Luzon.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said that the onion farm output is expected to surpass 300,000 metric tons this year, as only eight percent of the total production area was affected by fall army worms.

Specifically, the Province of Nueva Ecija, a major onion grower in Central Luzon, has over 10,500 hectares for white onions.

Meanwhile, Glenn Panganiban, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) director said the DA will implement a technical support program for onion farmers and agricultural extension workers. 

Panganiban said this initiative aims to provide industry stakeholders with the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively manage onion production areas.

The DA officials also stressed the need to regularly monitor onion farms to quickly solve any problems that could affect the harvest.

"Let us practice early reporting and monitoring of unusual events in the farms,” Guevarra said.

In addition to the ongoing information campaign, BPI will conduct training programs on Integrated Pest Management, the effective use of biocontrol agents, and the careful application of farm inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides.

"We will also assist onion growers of Nueva Ecija in securing a Philippine Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP) certificate to enable them to access more markets,” Panganiban added.