At long last, the Department of Agriculture has allotted P326 million for the onion industry this year to boost product, after its artificial shortage led to skyrocketing prices of as high as P700 per kilo, hoarding and cartelized operations that disrupted the market and caused food inflation to surge.
Onion became even more expensive than meat when it is just a cooking ingredient. Netizens used onion to criticize the Department of Agriculture, headed by no less than President Marcos, by posting in social media onions as wedding gifts, onions replacing precious stones in jewelry and so much more. Nowhere in the world had onion prices reached so high than in the Philippines, the social media buzzed.
Understandably, the announcement of the budget for onion for 2023 came from Presidential Communications Office (PCO), which said the interventions are under the DA’s High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP).
Some P69 million is earmarked for onion production support services, including provision of seeds, seedlings, and other farm inputs while P3.2 million is allotted for irrigation network facilities and P1.9 million for extension support, education, and training.
In addition, the program allotted P6.486 million for farm production-related machinery and equipment distribution; P2.359 million for production facilities, and P2.5 million for postharvest and processing equipment and machinery distribution, the PCO said.
Seven onion cold storage facilities amounting to P240.575 million will also be established this year in key production areas.
The press release said these cold storage facilities, with up to 10,000-bag capacity, will benefit the Pangasinan Onion Growers Association in Umingan, Pangasinan and the Federation of Aritao Farmers Onion, Garlic and Ginger Association in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya.
Meanwhile, 20,000-bag capacity cold storage facilities will be awarded to the New Hermosa Farmers Association in Hermosa, Bataan; the Nagkakaisang Magsasaka Agricultural MPC in Talavera, Nueva Ecija, and the Valiant Primary Multipurpose Cooperative in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija.
The Salvacion United Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative and the Samahang Gumagawa Tungong Tagumpay Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Rizal and Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro will also receive 20,000-bag capacity cold storage facilities.
The PCO said a total of 10 farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) from the MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) region received financial grant totaling P40 million through the DA Enhanced Kadiwa: Sagip Sibuyas Project.
More than 7,800 FCA members benefited from the project in MIMAROPA.
“Under the Sagip Sibuyas Project, eligible FCAs shall use the grant of up to P5 million for trading capital to cover the costs of procuring onions directly from farmers, hauling and delivery to markets and cold storage facilities, and storage rental,” the PCO said in a statement.
It added that the DA also provides market linkage services to ensure that the onion FCAs have ready markets for their produce, including fast food chains and institutional buyers.
Aside from the Sagip Sibuyas Project, MIMAROPA is one of the identified beneficiaries of the Kadiwa Food Mobilization program.
Under this initiative, the DA, through the Agribusiness Marketing and Assistance Service, will buy produce from areas that have surplus yield to transport to areas with high demand, particularly Metro Manila.