DA, FTI to Buy Mindoro Onions to Prevent Price Drop During Peak Harvest
SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (March 5, 2026) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is preparing to intervene in the onion market in Occidental Mindoro to help prevent a sharp drop in prices during the peak harvest season. The government, through state-run Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), plans to purchase onions directly from farmers and store them in cold storage facilities.
The move comes as onion harvests in the province are expected to increase significantly from March to April—a period when farmgate prices often decline due to oversupply and limited storage capacity.
Officials from FTI recently inspected the WBI Cold Storage facility in San Jose, which has the capacity to store up to 380,000 bags of onions. The inspection was part of the agency’s preparation for its onion procurement program in the province, one of the country’s major onion-producing areas.
The inspection was led by FTI President Joseph Lo, together with Occidental Mindoro Provincial Agriculturist Engr. Alrizza Zubiri and San Jose Municipal Agriculturist Romel Calisangan.
The facility is scheduled to start operations on March 10, enabling FTI to begin buying onions from farmers by the third week of March, ahead of the expected harvest peak.
By purchasing onions and storing them in cold facilities, the government aims to absorb excess supply and help stabilize farmgate prices.
According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., the intervention will also help reduce the influence of middlemen in setting onion prices and ensure that farmers receive fair compensation for their produce. He also directed FTI to expand the onion-buying program, which was first implemented in Nueva Ecija.
The procurement initiative is part of the government’s broader strategy to strengthen market stability, improve farmers’ income, and maintain a steady supply of onions in the market.
FTI President Lo said the effort also supports the administration’s goal of strengthening food security in the country by improving market connections from farmers to consumers.
FTI has already started implementing the program in other onion-producing areas. The agency previously purchased around 10,000 bags of red onions in Nueva Ecija and, beginning March 6, aims to procure about 3,000 bags daily.
Meanwhile, provincial officials conducted a consultation meeting with onion farmers and traders to develop clearer policies and guidelines for a more transparent onion trading system in Occidental Mindoro.
Representatives from several government agencies—including the DA’s High Value Crops Development Program, the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division, the Bureau of Plant Industry, and the Department of Trade and Industry—presented updates on the province’s onion industry, including the current status and capacity of local cold storage facilities.
One of the proposals discussed during the meeting was the mandatory registration of onion traders to prevent unauthorized buyers from operating in the market.
Officials said the combined measures—such as direct procurement, expanded use of cold storage, and stricter trader monitoring—are expected to help protect farmers from sudden price drops during the harvest season while promoting fairer trading practices in the onion industry.
NPO News Team | DA Press Office - PR
