Says activities of onion traders should be closely monitored
(Eagle News) — Senator Imee Marcos called for a comprehensive inventory of local white onions so the Philippine government can determine if traders are hoarding supplies.
The senator who is the older sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said it is important to track the activities of onion traders who bought the onions from the local farmers.
“Trace the traders who bought white onions from local farmers and find out if they are hoarding the crop in cold storage,” Sen. Marcos urged.
The inventory will also determine the extent of a shortage caused by last summer’s lean harvest.
“Without a comprehensive inventory, we cannot arrive at a well-calibrated importation policy that answers consumer demand but also relieves our local growers from low farmgate prices,” she said.
Sen. Marcos warned that smugglers of imported white onions have been taking advantage of the situation by selling the white onions they have to the restaurant industry at 10 times the usual price.
“Popular fastfood chains are complaining that what they used to buy at 40 pesos per kilo are now being sold to them at 400 by Divisoria-based traders,” she said.
President Marcos Jr., who also serves as the secretary of the Department of Agriculture, has vowed to address problems in the agriculture sector and promised to help local farmers.
His sister, Senator Imee Marcos, said that next year’s national budget should provide more cold storage facilities for local farmers.
“For now, an inventory and contract-growing must be done as soon as possible,” she urged.
The Department of Agriculture has alreayd started listing the names of traders gathered from farmers in major onion-growing provinces like Nueva Ecija and Mindoro.
But Sen. Marcos is urging the government to also include farmers in Visayas and Mindanao to determine the real situation in onion farming.
-Link local farmers with restaurant industry, says Sen. Marcos-
She also urged the government to start linking more local farmers with the restaurant industry, ahead of the next major harvest in April.
“We can shut out smugglers from the supply chain through contract-growing, wherein industrial buyers assure local growers of income from their upcoming harvests and, in turn, are assured supply of a staple ingredient in their food products,” she explained.
Marcos expressed worry that smaller harvests of white onions in November will fall short of higher demand by year-end.
“Wet weather conditions will aggravate the situation if these cause white onions to sprout or rot in storage,” she added.
(Eagle News Service)