P86-M onion oversupply questioned

SENATOR Francis Pancratius “Kiko” N. Pangilinan, who was reelected as Agriculture committee chairperson, questioned P86 million worth of onion imports amid spoilage of local onion supply.

“If this is what’s happening, we need to ask why such a large volume of imported onions is still coming in despite sufficient local supply,” Mr. Pangilinan said in a press statement on Wednesday.

The Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Customs, and Bureau of Plant Industry on June 10 inspected 26 abandoned containers of imported red onions at the Manila International Container Port.

He reiterated that the importation of onions amid sufficient supply causes the collapse of farm-gate prices.

During the agriculture panel inquiry, Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson cited data from the Philippine Onion Industry Roadmap where onion self-sufficiency has been set to 279,000 metric tons (MT).

Meanwhile, a report from the Philippine Statistics Authority presented in the hearing revealed that in 2025, the Philippines produced 308,661 MT of onions while importation stood at 94,000 MT.

“Importing onions during a period of oversupply only drives prices down further and makes it difficult for our farmers,” Mr. Pangilinan said in Filipino. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel