P500 to P10/kilo! Mindoro Bulb Onion Crisis Stresses Need For NFA-FTI

The Bulb Onion Crisis in Occidental Mindoro where farmers burned their produce because of very low prices is a perfect example of why government must establish agricultural consolidation centers in the production areas.

Just about 5 months ago, prices of Red Bulb Onion in the market went up to as high as P500 per kilo.

Today, farmers’ Onions are bought for as low as P8 to P10 per kilo.

Seasonal crop ang sibuyas kaya kapag nagharvest, sabay sabay at napupuno ang mga cold storage facilities.

Or kino-kontrol ng mga cold storage operators para bumagsak ang presyo.

This is where an expanded Food Terminal Inc., a moribund government owned food consolidation and marketing corppration under the National Food Authority, is needed.

If there is an FTI Consolidation Center in Mindoro, Nueva Ecija or Tarlac complete with cold storage facilities this problem could be easily addressed.

The farmers sell their produce to the FTI at an established farm gate price.

FTI Mindoro, Nueva Ecija or Tarlac could either keep the Onions in the cold storage or ship these to FTI Centers in provinces which do not grow Onions.

After the harvest season when Onion supply is low, FTI opens the cold storages and sells the Onions.

This set-up will encourage the farmers to produce more and result in stable Onion prices in the market.

Masaya na ang magsasaka, kumita ang gobyerno at sisigla pa ang ekonomiya.

#GovernanceIsCommonSense!

#KungGustoMaramingParaan!