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MANILA (UPDATED)– Philippine authorities are imposing a P250 per kilo suggested retail price on red onions.

The Department of Agriculture issued an administrative circular imposing the SRP, signed by DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban.

It is effective immediately and will remain in effect until the first week of January 2023. But DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista earlier said the SRP will take effect either on Friday, December 30, or New Year’s Eve, December 31.

“Tayo po ay nakikipag-ugnayan pa sa ating mga market masters na we also have to give time doon sa ating mga tindera. Pero we are looking at December 30 or December 31 po kasi hinahabol natin bago matapos ang taon eh maimplement natin ang P250 pero siyempre po dahil gusto po natin na makasunod ang ating mga tindera, hinahanapan din po natin sila ng magbabagsak ng presyo sa kanila, sa kanilang mga palengke, para masunod po nila yung P250,” she told TeleRadyo.

The P250 SRP is higher than the current P170 per kilo. But prices of onions have gone up to as high as P700 per kilo in some Metro Manila public markets.

• Presyo ng sibuyas pumalo na ng higit P600 kada kilo

The DA has said that the increase in demand for the commodity and high farmgate costs are the reasons behind the increase.

Evangelista said it is possible for onion market prices to go down because farmgate prices can decrease, too.

“Nagkaroon po kasi ng--ang institutional buyers po, medyo bumili sila sa mga magsasaka at a very high price dahil yun ang isa sa mga drivers kung bakit tumaas ang presyo ng farmgate, aside of course from the fact na may binabawi din po ang ating mga magsasaka na mga natalo nila in the past.”

“So both, dahil dyan, tuloy-tuloy yung pagtaas. But when we sat down with them, we look at the cost structures, hinimay po natin isa-isa, at nakita nating pwedeng ibaba. Sila naman po ay sumang-ayon,” she explained.

For her part, Valiant Cooperative Manager Luchie Cena said their group of onion farmers will be able to harvest around the middle of January.

“Itinawag sakin kagabi na nag-set na ng presyo na maging P250. At P200 naman dito sa farmgate price…actually yung P200, yan ay parating na presyo, padami naman na po ang ani nyan dahil sa kalagitnaan po ng Enero ay mag-aani na po ng sibuyas dito,” she said.

“Puting sibuyas po ang aanihin, ang puting sibuyas po ay madaming umani kaysa pula,” she added.—With a report from Lady Vicencio, ABS-CBN News