The Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to extend the importation ban on onions.
DA Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. sees no reason to import onion since the Philippines has enough supply to last until the month of July.
"Ie-extend natin ‘yung ban sa onion importation. Puno ang mga cold storages sa onion producing areas. Mababa naman ang presyo sa merkado," Laurel explained on Monday, May 20, in an ambush interview.
Laurel said that DA will only allow the importation of onions 'when necessary'.
"If there is a spike in price, and that means there is probably a lack of supply or there is an unscrupulous trader, then we will activate our imports," the DA chief said.
DA enforced a temporary ban on onion importation last January 'to prevent further depressing onion prices due to supply glut'.
