Onion import ban extended until July
THE ban on the importation of onion will be extended till July in view of the bumper harvest by local producers.
This was disclosed yesterday by Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. saying that the ban maybe until July or longer since cold storages in onion producing areas are full, and prices are stable.
“So, there is no reason to import,” said Tiu Laurel.
In January, Tiu Laurel suspended the importation of onion until May to prevent a supply glut that would depress prices in anticipation of a strong harvest following farmers decision to increase areas planted to onion by 40 percent to around 10,217 hectares.
He then said the import ban maybe extended depending on the local supply situation as long as the price remains stable.
Tiu Laurel added that the price monitoring at the Balintawak market, for example, showed the price of red onion at P70 per kilo and P60 a kilo for white onion.
“When I joined the DA in November, price was P110 up to P120 a kilo,” he added.
