Onion farmers finally profit from high farmgate prices
ONION farmers in Bayambang that planted early are all smiles, making profit from the high prices of onions.
Ronnie Ringor, an onion farmer In Bayambang, said farmgate price as of Thursday, January 25 was P 200 per kilogram.
“Tabla na yan, tapos may kita pa tayo”, said Ringor adding that that 90 to 95-percent of onion farmers are expecting higher yields during the ongoing harvest season.
Bayambang Councilor Amore Junio, also an onion farmer, said onion farmers who planted onions earlier than others are reaping higher profits, as they were able to harvest when the farmgate price was still above P200 per kilogram.
“Ito yung mga farmers na nagtanim noong September to October noong nakaraang taon”, said Junio.
Some of these farmers, who already harvested their first cropping, planted onions again, hoping to harvest again this March.
Super Pinoy, the dominant variant of onions being planted in Bayambang town, take an average of 110 to 120 days to mature.
Other farmers, however, began harvesting earlier to take advantage of the high farmgate price before it goes down.
The onion farmers’ happiness, however, may be short lived because, 1,200 metric tons (MT) of imported onions arrived on January 22: 400 MT white onions and 800 MT red onions.
Another 5,000 MT of onions are expected to arrive within the week.
Ringor echoed his fellow farmers sentiment that the timing of the importation was bad because onion supply begins to mount as February approaches – the peak season of onion harvest.
“Too late the hero dapat noon pa sila nag-angkat noong mataas ang presyo”, he said.
He said the additional imports will surely bring the price of onions down to the farmers’ disadvantage. (Ahikam Pasion)
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