Church calls on govt to help farmers amid soaring onion prices

CARITAS Philippines called on the national government to provide farmers with the needed assistance amid the soaring prices of onions in the market.

The Catholic Church’s social action and advocacy arm issued the statement on Tuesday as prices of local red onions are now between P500 and P720 per kilogram, while local white onions are priced at P600.

Caritas Philippines president Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said the Department of Agriculture (DA) should help farmers increase onion production at less costs in a bid to lower their prices in the market.

Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said the government should provide financial incentives or subsidies to help our farmers grow more onions and lower the cost of production.

He said this will make the local farmers more competitive with producers from other countries who are already receiving large subsidies and other forms of support from their respective governments.

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Aside from the financial support, the bishop also urged the DA to improve onion farming infrastructures in the country.

“Another thing that can be looked into is infrastructural investments that would improve the productivity and efficiency of onion farms,” Bagaforo said.

“More cold storage facilities should be established to lessen the cost surplus of our farmers and meet the rising demand for agricultural products in the market,” he added.

Bagaforo noted that in 2021, the prevailing price of locally produced onions stood at around P140 per kilo.