Bega, Bongabon, N.E.- Less than half of the town’s farmers
here planted onions last season and produced only one million metric tons or about one-fourth of its usual yearly output due to lack of capital and government support.This should explain why onions are in short supply and cost P140 per kilo or nearly three times their normal price level.
According to retired Commodore Ismael Aparri, president of Kampilan (Kilusan ng Mamimiling Pilipino Laban sa Kahirapan, Inc.) the normal yearly onion production is four million metric tons. The harvest from Feb. 4 to May 2 was expected at one million MT only.
Many onion farmers here claimed they lost big money after their newly-planted farms were twice destroyed by floods caused by swollen dikes in the town.
“Dalawang beses kaming natalo,” one planter said.
But those who planted onions last season made huge profits because the traders bought their produce at P40 per kilo. “Swertepswerte lang talaga ang pag-tatanim ng sibuyas sa panahong ito gaya ng tumataya sa Lotto. Madalas talo, kung minsan panalo,” said another planter in this once prosperous Nueva Ecija town, which has not attracted big commercial banks one usus\ally seen in first-class municipalities.
At the Bongabon public market, vendors sell what they describe as “tira-tirahan” or leftover onions which were not bought by the local traders due to their size. These “leftover onion” are as small as a P1 coin. Today, these tiny onions are sold even in Metro Manila public markets because price speculators hoard the local produce by keeping them in storage while they wait for better resell prices” caused by artificial shortage.
Big volume consumers. Like five-star hotels will not buy the bigger-sized onion because the local variety would not pass strict quality standards, according to Ms. Lilibeth Valenzuela, president of the Philippine Onion Importers/Growers, Inc.
According to Apparri, he already wrote Malacañang to bring the looming vegetable price crisis to the attention of President Macapagal-Arroyo, who promptly ordered Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap more than three weeks ago to look into the onion price and supply situation.
But until now, Aparri said, Yap has not made any feedback report to Ms. Arroyo. Aparri blames Yap for the worsening supply and price crisis of rice, vegetable and other food products.
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