The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Friday that a lower price range for onions is possible for the following week.

During her visit to farmers in Nueva Ecija, DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista reported that farm-gate prices have decreased as the country's harvest season approaches its peak.

“Bumababa na ang presyo ng farm-gate price dito sa Bongabon (The farm-gate price [of onions] has dropped here in Bongabon). We will have to validate din po ang presyo sa (the price in) Pangasinan and other production areas. But definitely, dito sa Bongabon, sa ating pag-oobserba, bumaba na ‘yung presyo (here in Bongabon, in our observation, the price has declined),” she said.

Evangelista stated that the department has decided not to extend the P250 suggested retail price (SRP) as a result of the anticipated drop in prices during harvest season.

“Kaya nga hanggang Jan. 7 lang ang SRP. Kasi inaasahan na after that, bababa na ‘yung presyo. So ‘yung itinakda nating P250 na presyo, inaasahan natin magiging P200,” she said.

(That’s why the set SRP is only until Jan. 7 because we are expecting that after that, the price will drop. So our set PHP250 is expected to be at PHP200)

The DA's monitoring reveals that market prices are gradually approaching the expected price.

“Wala na po kaming nakikitang P500 dun sa mga palengkeng mino-monitor. So nakikita po natin na nagre-react na ‘yung sa retail dun sa pagbaba ng presyo sa farm-gate price,” Evangelista said.

(We are no longer seeing P500 [per kg] in the monitored markets. So, we are seeing a reaction in retail [stores] following the farm-gate price drop)

With the importation of more than 5,000 metric tons of onions, DA spokesman Rex Estoperez previously predicted that onion prices could fall to between P100 and P150 per kilogram.

In Metro Manila, the price range for local red onions is between P300 and P400 per kilogram, while the price range for local white onions is between P250 and P400 per kilogram.