Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes (PNFSP) on the Department of Agriculture’s Move to Import Tons of Onions

The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) decision to import 7,000 tons of onions to address an alleged supply deficit  raises significant concerns. While ensuring stable food supply and price control is a legitimate goal, this move must be carefully evaluated in terms of its impact on local farmers, on consumers, and long-term food security.

Onion farmers have consistently struggled with fluctuating market prices, often selling their produce at losses due to competition with cheaper imported onions. The timing of this importation, which coincides with the local harvest season, would surely drive down farmgate prices and negatively affect farmers’ livelihoods.

In recent years, concerns about price manipulation and hoarding have been raised as factors in the shortages of onions making it imperative that this decision undergo rigorous scrutiny. The DA must provide concrete data proving that there is indeed a deficit that cannot be met by local production.

Rather than resorting to large-scale imports as a short-term solution, the government should prioritize strengthening domestic onion production through improved storage facilities, technologies to improve production and reduce post harvest losses and farmer support programs. Crucial interventions must be made to stop price manipulation and hoarding by unscrupulous traders.

In the end, the DA should reassess its importation strategy and focus on long-term agricultural policies that empower Filipino farmers while ensuring food security for consumers. Importation should be a last resort, only undertaken when transparent data clearly demonstrates an unavoidable supply gap.