The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to establish the country’s first Onion Research and Extension Center in an effort to further boost the onion industry in the Philippines.
According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the proposed research and extension facility will be located in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija — the top onion-producing area in the country.
Tiu Laurel also committed to doubling the budget for the procurement of pheromone lures and allocated ₱5 million to help onion farmers combat army worms.
He added that the DA will look for better-quality onion seeds to help improve farmers’ harvest and overall productivity.
It can be recalled that in 2022, onion prices soared to a record high of ₱700 per kilo, becoming one of the major issues in the agricultural sector.
Based on data from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), the monthly consumption of onions in the Philippines reaches around 17,000 metric tons for red onions and 4,000 metric tons for white onions.
