Farmers and agricultural groups slammed the Department of Agriculture (DA) over its decision to import onions, warning that the move would severely impact local producers amid the ongoing harvest season.
On Thursday, Feb. 6, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. confirmed that he had approved the importation of 3,000 metric tons of red onions and 1,000 metric tons of white onions, with shipments expected to arrive within the next two weeks.
Former Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Q. Montemayor called the timing of the DA’s importation “ill-advised” as onion harvests have already begun in key production areas such as Bayambang in Pangasinan, San Jose in Occidental Mindoro, and Bongabon and Laur in Nueva Ecija.
“The DA’s decision is ill-timed. Onion harvests have begun in major producing municipalities like Bayambang in Pangasinan, San Jose in Occidental Mindoro, and Bongabon and Laur in Nueva Ecija,” Montemayor said in statement.
He cautioned that the influx of imported onions would drive down farmgate prices, worsening the plight of local farmers already struggling with rising costs of agricultural inputs and an infestation of harabas or army worms.
While he acknowledged the DA’s intent to prevent a repeat of the exorbitant onion prices seen in 2022, Montemayor stressed the need for stricter oversight of market players.
“However, the DA—together with the Department of Trade and Industry and other law enforcement agencies—must also monitor cold storage operators and traders and counter any profiteering or cartelistic behavior,” he stated.
As such, Montemayor noted that there was little to no consultation with farmers and their organizations before the DA decided to import onions.
Farmers’ group questions importation
The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) also condemned the move, questioning why the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) rushed to approve onion imports despite the ongoing harvest.
“Bakit laging kati ang kamay ng ilang kawani ng Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) na mag-import ng sibuyas gayong paani na ang ating mga onion farmers (Why are some BPI officials always eager to import onions when our local farmers are already harvesting)?,” SINAG Executive Director Jayson Cainglet said.
He argued that there was no basis for declaring a shortage, especially since the late planting of onions—caused by Typhoon Pepito in November—only pushed the peak harvest from January-March to February-April.
“Why the rush? Why the declaration of shortage? May hinahabol ba silang import quota (Are they trying to meet an import quota)?” he said.
He pointed out that traders and retailers still had existing onion stocks and questioned the logic behind allowing imports to arrive within 20 to 25 days—right in the middle of harvest season.
“Ilang araw at linggo na lang ang aantayin, bakit kailangan ang pag-aangkat ng sibuyas, na darating mismo sa panahon ng anihan (Why can’t they wait just a few more weeks? Why import onions that will arrive exactly during the harvest season)?”
The mere announcement of importation, according to Cainglet, had already caused panic among farmers, forcing them to harvest early for fear of plummeting prices. He also noted that traders had temporarily halted purchases while waiting for the official importation announcement, further putting farmers at a disadvantage.
“Sa takot ng pagpasok ng import, maraming onion farmers na ang nag-aani ng sibuyas kahit hindi pa panahon dahil sa takot ng pagbagsak ng presyo ng ani pag pumasok na ang onion imports (Due to fears of importation, many onion farmers are already harvesting prematurely, afraid that prices will drop once imported onions arrive),” he said.
SINAG also warned that any declaration of shortage by the DA, even if well-intentioned, often serves as a signal for traders to hike retail prices—harming both farmers and consumers.
“Talo at lugi na naman ang mga magsasaka. Talo rin ang mga mamimili (Farmers lose again. Consumers lose too),” he said.