Onion prices may drop on bumper harvest

Onion prices are expected to remain stable or to even decline as the government forecasts another record harvest of bulbs in the second quarter, bringing nationwide supply to comfortable level.

- JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

The country's onion production in the second quarter could double compared to last year to around 174,288.98 metric tons (MT), according to a unit of the Department of Agriculture.

The projected output is 89,384.99 MT higher than the 84,903.99 MT recorded in April to June of last year.

The DA high value crops program estimated that bulk of the projected production would be harvested in April, reaching about 141,000 MT.

This will be followed by a 17,803 MT and 15,364 MT production levels in May and June, respectively.

Based on the estimates, about 86 percent or nearly 150,000 MT would be red onions while 10,027.63 MT and 209 MT would be yellow onions and shallots, respectively.

If the projections materialize, then it would raise total onion output in the first half alone to over 370,000 MT, the highest in history. The country produced 201,000 MT of onions in the first quarter.