By Kenneth Marcos 
As the sun rises over onion fields in Mimaropa, farmers move quickly to harvest their crops before the peak season floods the market. For many of them, the fear is not the hard work. It is the sudden drop in farmgate prices that could wipe out months of investment.
To prevent this, Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. has ordered the government-run Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) to start buying onions this week. The move aims to stabilize farmgate prices as harvest reaches its peak in key growing areas, including Occidental Mindoro and other parts of Mimaropa.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the intervention is meant to protect local farmers from severe price drops caused by oversupply. During peak harvest, prices often fall sharply because traders and buyers have many options. When this happens, farmers are forced to sell at very low prices just to avoid spoilage.
FTI, a state-owned company under the DA, will purchase onions directly from farmers at competitive rates. By doing so, the government hopes to remove excess supply from the market and help maintain reasonable prices. The onions bought by FTI may later be sold in Kadiwa outlets or other government-supported markets to ensure affordable prices for consumers while protecting farmer income.
In recent years, onion prices in the Philippines have been highly volatile. In 2022 and 2023, retail prices surged to record highs due to supply shortages and import delays. In contrast, during harvest season, farmgate prices have sometimes dropped below production cost, leaving farmers in debt.
According to agricultural groups, the cost of producing onions includes seeds, fertilizer, pesticides, labor, irrigation, and land preparation. Many farmers borrow capital before planting. If farmgate prices fall too low, they struggle to repay loans and prepare for the next cropping cycle.
The DA said this early intervention is part of a broader strategy to balance supply and demand. By entering the market before prices crash, the government aims to avoid extreme swings that hurt both farmers and consumers.
Mimaropa remains one of the country’s major onion-producing regions, alongside Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan. Stable onion production is important not only for farmer livelihood but also for national food security. Onions are a basic ingredient in Filipino cooking and are widely used in households and small eateries.
Agriculture officials also reminded traders to practice fair buying and avoid taking advantage of farmers during peak harvest. Monitoring teams are on the ground to track prices and ensure transparency in transactions.
For farmers like those in Mimaropa, government support during harvest season offers some relief. But many say long-term solutions such as improved storage facilities, cold chain systems, and better market planning are also needed to reduce losses and price instability.
As harvest continues in the coming weeks, the DA’s action will be closely watched. The goal is clear: protect farmers’ income while keeping onions affordable for Filipino families.
In the end, stable prices benefit everyone—from the farmer in the field to the mother cooking dinner at home.
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