The Department of Agriculture (DA) confirmed Wednesday the approval of a limited importation of yellow onions to ensure stable market prices in the upcoming holiday season.

In an ambush interview, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) was given the go signal to import around 16,000 metric tons (MT) of yellow onions.

“Inaprubahan ko na noong Lunes iyong pag-i-import ng (I approved the importation last Monday of) white or yellow onion dahil ang stocks natin sa bansa ay (because the country’s stocks are already) depleted,” he said.

“Limited quantity lang ito ng white onion na ini-import para lang (This is only a limited quantity of white onion to be imported) to stabilize prices of white onions,” Tiu Laurel said.

As of Tuesday, the price of local white onions ranges from PHP80 per kilogram to PHP150/kg., according to the DA-Bantay Presyo.

He added the BPI will issue the necessary sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC) by batches.

“I think by end of this week or early next week, papasok na iyon (it will arrive) in limited quantity… So, talagang batches lang (it’s really by batches only) every two weeks, we will be issuing,” Tiu Laurel said.

He assured the imports will arrive before the peak harvest season from March to April 2025, and will only cover the country’s demand for the remainder of the year.

“Dapat maparating iyon by end of December para hindi maapektuhan iyong ating mga farmers sa harvest season nila (It should come by the end of December so our farmers will not be affected in their harvest season),” Tiu Laurel said.

Meanwhile, Tiu Laurel said there are sufficient stocks of red onions in the country.

“Marami pa tayong red onion. Ang red onion natin (We still have a lot of red onions. Our red onion) is good until March of next year,” he said.

According to a memorandum dated Aug. 14, the BPI said available stock for fresh red onion was at 135,551.40 MT, based on a monitoring conducted from July 29 to Aug. 2. (PNA)