LOW FARMGATE: FROM P120 TO P28

ONION farmers in 30 barangays in Bayambang town could only scratch their heads wondering how they can recover their costs after being told of the low farmgate prices this season.

Ronnie Ringor, one of the town’s onion farmers, said the very low farmgate prices, P23-P28 only, coupled with high fertilizer costs are already telling them they cannot even breakeven and bemoaned his unexpected huge losses this year.

Back in 2020, onion farmers rejoiced as farmgate prices rose to around P120 per kilo.

Further compounding their miseries, he said fertilizer costs have more than doubled since 2021.

Ringor, who suffered a P1-million loss last year due to rains and floods in December, fears more losses this season.

One hectare of onion field requires a minimum capital investment of P250,000 to P300,000 investment and much of it are spent on pesticides, antifungal, and fertilizers.

To breakeven, Ringor said the farmgate price should at least P40. “We can earn a modest profit with P45 farmgate price,” he said since a bag of onions, weighs approximately 30 kilos.

But with the low farmgate price now, Ringor and other onion farmers they cannot recover their costs. (Ahikam Pasion)

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