President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered a stakeholders’ meeting next week after discovering that imported onions are sold up to ₱ 200 per kilo. Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said Marcos will be presiding over the meeting on the reported high prices as imported onions started arriving in the country.
“The President has ordered a stakeholders’ meeting on Monday with importers, traders, retailers and farmers to discuss the price since DA (Department of Agriculture) price monitoring team saw imported onions being sold at ₱ 180 – 200 per kg.,” Garafil said yesterday.
The first batch of the more than 21,000 tons of imported onions has arrived in the country. More imported onions are expected to be available in markets this week. Marcos has approved the importation of the vegetable in a bid to address the supply gap and surging prices of onions in the country.
Bill seeks to widen scope of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act
Meanwhile, Senator J.V. Ejercito has filed a bill seeking to widen the scope of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, imposing stringent penalties for hoarders, profiteers and cartels of agricultural products. Senate Bill 1688 wants hoarding, profiteering, and operations of cartels of sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish and cruciferous vegetables with a minimum amount of ₱1 million or of rice with a minimum amount of ₱10 million to be considered as economic sabotage.
[ ₱1 = €0.017 ]
Source: mb.com.ph