Biology:2022–2023 Philippine onion crisis
By late 2022, the price of red and white onions in the Philippines increased significantly,[1] reaching an all-time high in December at ₱700 per kilogram and leading people to smuggle the commodity into the country.[2][3][4]
Background
Along with garlic, onion is a staple in Filipino cuisine, being used as a base in many dishes.[5] It is a seasonal crop, growing between the rainy months of September and December. Meanwhile, its harvest season begins as early as December and ends in June.[6] The Philippines consumes an average of 17,000 metric tons of onion per month.[7] In August 2022, the country was predicted to experience a shortage of onion and garlic.[8]
The price of red onion in 2021 ranged between ₱90 and ₱120.[6]
Causes
The Department of Agriculture's failure to adequately project supply and demand for onions resulted to a delay in imports, leading to a shortage.[9]
Response
In January 2023, President Bongbong Marcos, who also serves concurrently as Secretary of Agriculture, approved the importation of 21,060 tons of onion.[1] The first shipments began to arrive on January 23.[10] The agriculture department said the importation, albeit a "temporary solution", would help decrease inflation in the country and stabilize the price of the vegetable.[1]
See also
- 2010 Indian onion crisis
- 2022–2023 Philippine sugar crisis
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Magramo, Kathleen (January 10, 2023). "Onions are so expensive in the Philippines they're being smuggled into the country". CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/10/business/philippines-onion-inflation-intl-hnk/index.html.
- ↑ Baclig, Cristina Eloisa (January 25, 2023). "Onion prices worldwide much lower, deepen questions on incredulous costs in PH". Philippine Daily Inquirer. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1720933/onion-prices-worldwide-much-lower-deepen-questions-on-incredulous-costs-in-ph.
- ↑ Liang, Annabelle (January 27, 2023). "Cost of living: How onions became a luxury in the Philippines". BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64327724.
- ↑ Bharade, Aditi (January 27, 2023). "Onions are now so expensive in the Philippines that they've become a luxury item — and people have been trying to smuggle them across the border". Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/philippines-onion-price-soars-smugglers-chicken-2023-1.
- ↑ de Guzman, Chad (January 9, 2023). "In the Philippines, Onions Are Now More Expensive Than Meat". Time (magazine). https://time.com/6245568/philippines-onions-shortage-inflation/. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 New Worlds (January 8, 2023). "Philippine onion: Most expensive in the world". The Manila Times. https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/01/08/opinion/columns/philippine-onion-most-expensive-in-the-world/1873211.
- ↑ Macapagal, Jed (January 5, 2023). "DA hints at importing onions; bans poultry, hog from select". Malaya. https://malaya.com.ph/news_business/da-hints-at-importing-onions-bans-poultry-hog-from-select-countries/.
- ↑ Arcalas, Jasper Y. (August 31, 2022). "PHL to suffer white onion, garlic shortage". BusinessMirror. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/08/31/phl-to-suffer-white-onion-garlic-shortage/.
- ↑ Jose, Ashley Erika O. (December 26, 2022). "Onion crisis blamed on DA forecasting failures". BusinessWorld. https://www.bworldonline.com/economy/2022/12/26/495277/onion-crisis-blamed-on-da-forecasting-failures/.
- ↑ Cariaso, Bella (January 24, 2023). "Imported onions start to arrive". The Manila Times. https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/01/24/news/national/imported-onions-start-to-arrive/1875612https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/01/24/news/national/imported-onions-start-to-arrive/1875612.
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