Retail price of onions down by P10/kilo – DA

MANILA, Philippines — The retail price of onions went down by P10 per kilo as the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported that the highest cost of the bulb is now at P190 per kilo compared to P200 per kilo in the previous days.

The downward trend on the retail price of the bulbs came days after the decision of the DA to postpone the implementation of the P150 suggested retail price (SRP) for red onions and P140 for white onions.

The SRP was supposed to take effect on May 22.

Based on the monitoring of the DA in Metro Manila markets yesterday, the retail price of P190 per kilo was recorded at the Marikina Public Market in Marikina City.

Meanwhile, the retail price of onions at the Malabon Central Market in Malabon City ranged between P140 and P160 per kilo; at New Las Piñas Public Market in Las Piñas City, P150 per kilo; at Guadalupe Public Market in Makati City, between P150 and P160 per kilo; at San Andres Market in Manila, between P170 and P180 per kilo; Quinta Market in Manila, P180; at Pritil Market in Manila, between P160 and P165; Pamilihang Lungsod ng Muntinlupa in Muntinlupa City, P160; Pasay City Market, between P150 and P170, and Pasig City Mega Market, between P160 and P180 per kilo.

At Commonwealth Market in Quezon City, the retail price of the bulbs ranged between P160 and P180 per kilo; Muñoz Market in Quezon City, between P160 and P180, and at Mega Q-mart in the same city, between 150 and P160 per kilo.

Farmers’ group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) executive director Jayson Cainglet has questioned the decision of the DA to postpone the implementation of the SRP.

Cainglet said that only profiteers will benefit from the delay in the implementation of the SRP.

The decision to impose the SRP was reached during a consultation with various stakeholders on May 19 attended by DA officials, onion farmers, farmers groups, wholesalers, traders and retailers.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary and deputy spokesman Rex Estoperez has admitted that Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban took into consideration the zero compliance on the previous SRP imposed on the bulbs in his decision to defer the signing of the draft memorandum order.

The DA implemented a P250 per kilo SRP in December 2022 but the price of onions skyrocketed to P720 per kilo amid the shortage in the supply.

In February, the agency also imposed P125 SRP on imported onions, but failed to get compliance from traders and retailers.