THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeing a lower price of onions by the middle of January amid efforts to facilitate enough supply in markets and the anticipated harvest season.
DA undersecretary Kristine Evangelista said the target price of onions would be met after the holiday season.
“By middle of January, dadami ang harvest. Definitely, mag-iiba na naman ‘yung price points natin kaya we will revisit ‘yung SRP (suggested retail price) baka bumaba pa po ang presyo,” Evangelista told GMA News’ “Unang Balita”.
Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has deployed price monitoring teams to monitor compliance with the P250 SRP for red onions in wet markets.
In a statement, the DTI said its monitoring teams were deployed beginning Dec. 30, 2022, to assist the DA in checking the SRP for red onions in wet markets in Metro Manila and will continue the price monitoring efforts in other regions.
The DTI price monitoring for red onions is in response to the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and DA Circular No. 12 dated Dec. 29, 2022, which places an SRP of P250 per kilogram of red onion in wet markets.
The SRP is in effect until the first week of January 2023.
“DTI is calling on sellers to keep their prices within the suggested retail prices. We are exerting every effort to ensure that prices of basic necessities and prime commodities are within the reach of Filipino consumers,” DTI secretary Alfredo Pascual said. (GMA Integrated News)
