ONION FARMERS in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija harvest their crops for sale in the local market
BONGABON, Nueva Ecija – At the current price of P18 a kilo, Jun Agunan of Barangay Lusok here would have had a net income of P32,000 from his 8,000-square-meter onion farm which yielded about 9,000 kilos or an expected sale of P162,000.
That is after the six months of labor and spending P130,000 on the minimum in production cost, including land preparation, seeds, fertilizer and pesticides. “Wala na talagang matitira dahil may ibang pagkakautang pa (nothing is really left because I have to pay my loans),” said Agunan, a father of two, noting that it was not only him in the family who worked for that period.
“Madalas buong pamilya ay kailangang magtrabaho para makabawas pa sa gastos (Most often, the whole family helps out to lessen the expenses),” he said.
Agunan, like thousands of onion farmers in this town and the adjoining municipalities of Laur, Gabaldon and Rizal and San Jose City, appeal to the government to seal the ports from both legal and illicit importation of onion bulbs.
“Sana unahing bilhin ang mga produkto namin bago ang imported (I hope they will buy our produce first before buying imported onions),” he said.
But Agunan having harvested his onions Tuesday was much luckier than other farmers who harvested their crops a day later. Rowell who planted red onions in Laur town said farmers in the municipality suffered huge losses as their produce are being bought for as low as P15 a kilo.
In desperation, some even used the social media in drumming up their concern. Others suggested asking presidential sister and showbiz personality Kris Aquino for help if only to get Malacañang’s attention.
They blamed their woes to the flooding of both red and while onions in the market which are mostly imported.
Progressive groups take up farmers’ cause Noting the farmers’ struggle, the progressive groups, Anakpawis Partylist and Alyansang Mabubukid ng Pilipinas, are prodding the government to create a subsidy price of P30 per kilo for onion farmers in order to command a higher price in commercial market.
Former Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano, who joined a program organized by the Kilusang Mayo Uno in Barangay Tulay Na Bato here Tuesday, expressed his solidarity with the onion farmers.
“Makatarungan at makatwiran ang panawagan na bilhin ang sibuyas sa mga magsasaka particular dito sa Bongabon sa halagang P30 bawat kilo dahil nga naman napakababa ang presyo ngayon, binabarat sapagkat may monopolyo sa pamilihan (It is only right to call for government subsidy of P30 per kilo for onion farmers particularly here in Bongabon because the price of onion is very low.
The buyers haggle too much because of the glut due to government monopoly),” Mariano said. The government, he said, will only need P1.2 billion to buy at least 40,000 MT which is more than one half of the 73,000 MT estimated onion production in the country at P30 a kilo.
“E magkano po ang nawala na pinagpasasaan ng iilan, nila Janet Lim Napoles at tiwali at corrupt sa ating pamahalaan P10 billion pork barrel scam (How much is lost to a few corrupt individuals like Janet Lim-Napoles and other corrupt government officials – P10 billion pork barrel scam)?”
No to GATT
Mariano also reiterated their stand against the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that is feared to open the floodgate for imported agricultural products starting 2015 under the World Trade Organization (WTO) to which the Philippines is a member.
The country, he said, can still withdraw from its WTO membership. Mariano, however, left for Manila before the militants could hold a rally in front of the town hall.
Mayor expresses solidarity
Meanwhile, Mayor Allan Xyztus Gamilla of this town also expressed his sympathy to his constituents, saying the low farm gate price of onions has negated the increase in per hectare yield.
Earlier, he met with officials of the Bureau of Plant Industry to make sure no import permit is being issued to any private trader during the harvest season.
He said the government should find a way to help onion farmers,
particularly in the advent of the liberalization under GATT. “I think we have to institute subsidy in production costs,” Gamilla said.
