By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson urged onion farmers in the province to control their production as the country continues to experience shortages.

In a radio interview yesterday, Lacson said farmers should be careful about making plans.

He said they are considering building storage facilities, but for now, onion farmers should figure out exactly how many they should plant, so not to cause overproduction when harvest season comes.

The Provincial Agriculture Office has available programs for onion farmers in the province, he said.

Lacson is also seeking consultations with farmer associations and cooperatives in Negros Occidental and he wants to know what their position is if the province ever decides to construct storage facilities.

The country is now experiencing a shortage in the supply of both red and white onions, with retail prices reaching as high as P300 per kilo.

Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said they are considering importing 7,000 metric tons of red onions.

Meanwhile, the farmer’s group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura warned that onion prices could spike to P400 and advised the DA to import at least 7,500 metric tons of red onions and 7,000 metric tons of white onions to avert the looming price hike.

There are also calls to establish a suggested retail price for onions at P170 per kilo./DGB, WDJ