Manila, Feb. 6 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday approved the importation of 4,000 metric tons (MT) of onions.

In a statement, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the move aims to prevent a repeat of the 2022 crisis, when retail prices of onions surged to a record high of PHP720 per kg. due to supply shortage.

"We will not risk a potential shortage that unscrupulous traders could exploit to drive up prices, as we saw in the past. We do not want a repeat of the 2022 crisis," he said.

Around 3,000 MT of red onions and 1,000 MT of white onions are expected to arrive in the next two weeks while awaiting the local fresh harvest, Tiu Laurel added.

Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Director Glenn Panganiban said the move ...