Legarda demands accountability for onion price crash, import overlap, and cold storage monopoly

Senator Loren Legarda has called urgent attention to the collapse of onion farm gate prices in Nueva Ecija and Occidental Mindoro, which plunged from ₱120–₱150 per kilogram in January 2026 to just ₱30–40 in February 2026, leaving farmers on the brink of economic loss while retail prices in Metro Manila remained disproportionately high.

Legarda emphasized that mistimed import arrivals, cold storage saturation, and anomalous shipments in Bulacan have compounded the crisis, exposing systemic failures in the supply chain.

On March 11, 2026, Legarda filed P.S. Resolution No. 344 directing the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform to investigate the adherence of the Department of Agriculture (DA), its attached agencies, and local governments to import calibration and cold storage guidelines. The resolution also seeks accountability for the proliferation of illegal imports and the recurring dominance of onion cartels.

“When farmers lose, the entire nation suffers. We cannot allow the sweat and sacrifice of our onion farmers to be wasted because of cartels and misguided policies,” Legarda said.

The resolution cites the steep decline in farm gate prices, the overlap of 4,000 metric tons of imports with peak harvest season, and the saturation of 82 percent of cold storage capacity, which denied farmers access to essential infrastructure. Despite DA’s earlier commitment to halt imports by January, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) data confirmed Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearances (SPSICs) remained valid until February 15, 2026.

“Why allow importation at the height of harvest? The result is farm gate prices collapsing while market prices remain high. Traders profit, but farmers are left behind,” Legarda said.

Legarda’s resolution directs agencies to impose an immediate importation ban to prevent predatory pricing, audit the value chain to trace profit margins of cold storage operators and wholesalers, review storage capacity in Nueva Ecija and Occidental Mindoro, including the new Barangay Labangan facility, examine anomalous shipments in Bulacan, and assess other onion-producing areas nationwide for similar irregularities.

She also raised alarm over reports of illegally imported onions from China discovered in Bulacan, which created a “shadow supply” excluded from official BPI records. These illicit stocks, Legarda warned, artificially bloated market volume, suppressed farm gate prices, and highlighted lapses in border control and regulatory enforcement.

“If we do not dismantle the monopoly over cold storage and import permits, this crisis will repeat every year. Government must buy directly from farmers and build farmer-managed storage facilities so they can compete fairly,” Legarda said.

Legarda concluded that the resolution also calls for an automatic importation ban every December to prevent surplus during harvest, stricter enforcement against agricultural sabotage under RA 12022, direct government procurement of local harvests at a support price, the construction of farmer-managed cold storage facilities, and an investigation into the “prior booking” system that disadvantages farmers. (30)

Legarda, nanawagan ng pananagutan sa pagbagsak ng presyo ng sibuyas, import overlap, at cold storage monopoly

Nagbabala si Senator Loren Legarda sa biglaang pagbagsak ng farm gate price ng sibuyas sa Nueva Ecija at Occidental Mindoro matapos bumulusok ang presyo mula ₱120–₱150 kada kilo noong Enero 2026 hanggang ₱30–40 na lamang noong Pebrero 2026.

Dahil dito, nalalagay sa bingit ng pagkalugi ang mga magsasaka kahit nananatiling mataas ang presyo ng sibuyas sa mga pamilihan sa Metro Manila.

Binigyang-diin ni Legarda na lalo pang nagpalala sa krisis ang maling oras ng pagdating ng imported na sibuyas, ang pagkapuno ng mga cold storage, at ang mga kahina-hinalang shipment sa Bulacan.

Aniya, malinaw nitong inilantad ang malalim na problema sa supply chain ng sibuyas sa bansa.

Naghain si Legarda noong Miyerkules, Marso 11, ng P.S. Resolution No. 344 upang atasan ang Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform na imbestigahan kung sumunod ba ang Department of Agriculture (DA), mga attached agencies nito, at mga lokal na pamahalaan sa tamang patakaran sa import calibration at cold storage.

Layunin din ng resolusyon na papanagutin ang mga nasa likod ng talamak na iligal na importasyon at ang paulit-ulit na paghahari ng onion cartels.

“When farmers lose, the entire nation suffers. We cannot allow the sweat and sacrifice of our onion farmers to be wasted because of cartels and misguided policies,” sabi ni Legarda.

Tinukoy sa resolusyon ang matinding pagbagsak ng farm gate price, ang pagsabay ng 4,000 metric tons ng imported na sibuyas sa kasagsagan ng anihan, at ang pagkapuno ng 82% ng cold storage capacity na nagkait sa mga magsasaka ng mahalagang imbakan.

Sa kabila ng naunang pangako ng DA na ihihinto ang importasyon pagsapit ng Enero, kinumpirma ng datos ng Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) na nanatiling valid hanggang Pebrero 15, 2026 ang mga Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearances o SPSICs.

“Why allow importation at the height of harvest? The result is farm gate prices collapsing while market prices remain high. Traders profit, but farmers are left behind,” sambit ni Legarda.

Inaatasan ng resolusyon ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno na magpatupad ng agarang importation ban upang pigilan ang mapanlamang na presyo, magsagawa ng audit sa buong value chain upang matunton ang kita ng mga cold storage operator at wholesalers, suriin ang storage capacity sa Nueva Ecija at Occidental Mindoro kabilang ang bagong pasilidad sa Barangay Labangan, imbestigahan ang mga kahina-hinalang shipment sa Bulacan, at siyasatin ang iba pang onion-producing areas sa buong bansa kung may kaparehong iregularidad.

Nagbabala rin si Legarda sa mga ulat tungkol sa mga iligal na imported na sibuyas mula China na nadiskubre sa Bulacan na lumikha umano ng “shadow supply” na hindi nakatala sa opisyal na rekord ng BPI.

Ayon sa kanya, pinalobo ng mga iligal na stock na ito ang suplay sa merkado, pinabagsak ang farm gate price ng sibuyas, at naglantad ng kahinaan sa border control at pagpapatupad ng regulasyon.

“If we do not dismantle the monopoly over cold storage and import permits, this crisis will repeat every year. Government must buy directly from farmers and build farmer-managed storage facilities so they can compete fairly,” aniya.

Binigyang-diin rin ni Legarda na nananawagan ang resolusyon ng awtomatikong importation ban tuwing Disyembre upang maiwasan ang sobrang suplay sa panahon ng anihan, mas mahigpit na pagpapatupad laban sa agricultural sabotage sa ilalim ng RA 12022, direktang pagbili ng gobyerno sa lokal na ani sa support price, pagtatayo ng mga cold storage na pamamahalaan ng mga magsasaka, at imbestigasyon sa tinatawag na “prior booking” system na naglalagay sa alanganin sa mga magsasaka. (30)