Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol is looking to suspend the issuance of import permits for red onions following protests by onion growers in Nueva Ecija.

Arnel Llamas, leader of cooperative KASAMNE, said Monday during the Senate hearing on the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) budget proposal for 2019 that the group had about 2,558 metric tons of red onion– enough to meet the country’s needs for the next four months.

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However, with the planned importation of about 32,000 MT, traders may opt to buy cheaper imported onions, leaving the local farmers’ own supply to rot.

The latest monitoring report by the DA showed that red onions are now sold at P100 a kilo, 42.86 percent higher than prices in the same period last year.

Llamas said industry stakeholders were not consulted on the planned importation.

Senators Cynthia Villar—who heads the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food—and Francis Escudero told Piñol that importers – not local producers – should hold off their supply.

Piñol said the agency would consider suspending the issuance of import permits to prioritize local supply.

He added that the DA’s move was merely prompted by consumers’ complaints over high food prices, thus the plan to import major food items such as onion, chicken and even “galunggong” (round scad).

“If we were able to stabilize the prices in the market then we wouldn’t need to import,” he said. “Everything is being blamed on the agency.”

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