MANILA – The Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) will buy local onions beginning next week, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Friday.
In a Zoom interview, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said the move followed requests from farmers for government intervention to help prevent unreasonable buying prices of onions ahead of the peak harvest season in March.
“Kung di ako nagkakamali (If I’m not mistaken), they're about to start next week ‘yung pagbili ng sibuyas (the buying of onions), both red and white onions,” he said, adding that the FTI will prioritize major onion-producing regions in the country.
“Ang pinakamalaki kasi Region 3 (Central Luzon) and then dito sa Mindoro. So, ang priority itong (The biggest source is in Region 3, and then followed by Mindoro. So the priority regions are) Central Luzon and Mimaropa,” de Mesa said, citing particularly Nueva Ecija.
Other onion-producing regions are in Ilocos and Cagayan Valley.
Earlier, the DA said the FTI has initially secured space for 50,000 28-kilogram bags of onions in cold storage facilities.
The FTI said the buying price for onions will be “at levels fair to farmers.” (PNA)