The Department of Agriculture (DA) has reassured market retailers that they would be able to buy cheaper red onions so they could comply with the PHP170 per kg. suggested retail price set by the government.

In an interview, DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista said the department wanted to ensure both retailers and consumers would have access to affordable red onions with the same quality but for a cheaper price.

“’Yung ating mga retailers, ‘wag ho silang mag-alala kasi ‘yung PHP170 na suggested retail price, tutulungan po natin sila na makapag-comply, kaya tayo ho mismo naghahanap ng suppliers para sa kanila (To our retailers, they should not worry because we will help them comply with our PHP170 suggested retail price. That is why we are the ones looking for their suppliers),” Evangelista said.

“‘Yung (The) quality po, rest assured na it will be the same quality. Ito po’y nanggaling din naman sa iisang magsasaka natin, mga taga-Nueva Ecija (This also comes from the same farmers in Nueva Ecija) so ‘yung (the) quality po will be the same.”

She said with the high prices of red onions, retailers are currently opting for smaller-sized ones, which they said are easier to sell.

“Ngayon may mga retailer tayo na gusto nila maliit kasi madali raw ibenta. Kasi may mga consumers naman na gusto nila maliliit. Pero if mayroon tayong retailer na ang hihingiin nila ay malalaki dahil ang kanilang binibentahan ay mga restaurant usually, mayroon din po tayong mga ganyan (Now we have retailers who want smaller-sized [onions], because it is disposed of more easily, but if we have a retailer who prefers bigger-sized onion to sell to restaurants usually, we also have that),” Evangelista said.

These cheaper alternatives are available in DA’s Kadiwa stores, cooperatives, and some traders, she said.

The agriculture department also said some onion traders have even signified their willingness to help bring down the prices of red onions.

“The good news is we have traders who are willing to cooperate with the Department of Agriculture, sana po lahat na muna dahil (we hope all of them would be willing for now because) we have to temper the prices of our commodities,” she said.

Evangelista, meanwhile, clarified that the government is still not allowing the importation of white onions and that the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) last Friday confiscated white onions thought to have been smuggled into the country.

“Wala po tayong importation permit na lumalabas. Wala pong white onion dapat na dumarating so that is one problem. And the other is, ‘pag ang produkto po ay smuggled, hindi po ito dumaan sa food safety protocol. Hindi po nakakasiguro ang consumers na safe ito, kaya diyan pumapasok ang ating regulatory body (No importation permit is being released. No white onions should arrive, so that is one problem. And the other is, if the product is smuggled, it does not undergo food safety protocol. The consumers cannot be sure whether these onions are safe, hence the entry of the regulatory body),” she said.

As of now, the DA, through the BPI, has intensified coordination with the Bureau of Customs against the smuggling of white onions. (PNA)