Onion farmers decry price manipulation
EXTREMELY LOW PRICE FOR ONIONS
LINGAYEN—Bayambang and Bautista onion farmers are hardest hit the most by the huge importation of onions to the country whose produce fetch prices much lower than their costs.
Gov. Amado Espino Jr., whose family is into onion-farming as well, sympathized with the plight of the farmers and tagged the price manipulation of the commodity by middlemen of traders amid heavy importation of onions as the major cause.
“We really don’t understand how this could happen but hopefully maka-recover ang ating farmers,” he remarked, adding that the provincial government continues to investigate the manipulation and to study how the situation can be corrected.
Prices of onion in Bautista and Bayambang towns range from P10-12 per kilogram, from P35 per kilogram at the beginning of the year.
Meanwhile, the province of Pangasinan is set to receive its Hall of Famer or the third Department of Agriculture (DA) Agri-Pinoy National Rice Achiever’s award on March 25.
“We are very happy as all our efforts in agriculture has paid off,” Espino said of the award.
He credited the expansion of the land area for farming, provision of irrigation, and introduction of modern technologies and organic fertilizer for the increase yields both of rice and corn.
Pangasinan is the third top rice-producing province in the country, next to Isabela and Nueva Ecija in 2013.
Espino noted, “‘Pag natapos ‘yong phase 2 ng San Roque (Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project), lalaban tayo sa pagkauna.”
Along with a trophy, the province is set to receive a cash prize of P4 million, which according to the Governor, will be used for programs to still further rice production.
“Hopefully we will also get our third National Quality Corn Achiever’s award,” he said. (Johanne R. Macob)
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