The Department of Agriculture (DA) said state-run Food Terminals Inc. (FTI) will begin buying local onions this week to prevent farmgate prices from dropping sharply as harvest season peaks.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said a team has been sent to Nueva Ecija — considered the country’s onion capital — to secure cold storage space. So far, 50,000 bags (28 kilos each) can be stored, with room to expand if needed.
The DA said buying onions during peak harvest will help stop prices from falling too low, which usually happens when supply is high. FTI will also monitor other onion-producing areas such as Occidental Mindoro, Pangasinan, and Cagayan Valley.
Nueva Ecija produces more than half of the country’s onions. The town of Bongabon alone accounts for about 15 percent of total national output.
FTI President Joseph Lo said farmgate prices in Nueva Ecija have risen to as much as P45 per kilo after the government assured farmers that imported onion stocks are limited and expected to run low by peak harvest.
The DA said the goal is to buy onions at prices that allow farmers to earn enough and continue planting. In past years, heavy imports arriving during harvest season caused prices to crash, discouraging farmers. This later led to lower production and more imports — creating a cycle of unstable prices.
By buying excess supply and expanding cold storage, FTI will act as a “buffer buyer” to prevent extreme price swings and help keep onion supply steady throughout the year.
The country consumes about 550 metric tons of onions daily. In 2025, national onion production reached 308,661 metric tons — 16.8 percent higher than in 2024, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
As of February 24, retail prices in Metro Manila markets ranged from about P101 to P120 per kilo, depending on the type and size of onion and whether it was locally produced or imported, according to DA monitoring.
