Onion farmers in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija are optimistic that the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) is the answer to their current problem on the spoilage of onions during peak-season.

Romeo Gallardo, an onion farmer from Sto. Domingo, shared that the spoilage of harvested onions has always been one of the major problems faced by rural farmers in their area.

Harvest season involves a huge amount of onion that need to be sold immediately. Lack of storage for unsold onions would result to spoiling and major income losses.

Onion is considered as a high value crop because production during lean months would mean farmers can enjoy a much better price. However, if farmers produce onion during the regular cropping season/peak season of harvest (Feb – April), the price per kilogram of onion becomes unstable both for yellow and red onions.

Another problem rural farmers encounter is the marketing of their products.

“There are times when we have great harvests but when it comes to marketing, the capitalists are the ones benefiting the most,” Gallardo said.

According to him, big capitalists and businessmen are the ones deciding the price of their onions. “Hopefully, through you (PRDP), that system will change so we will have the chance in the market competition. Not that we aspire for higher prices, we just could not stand it when only the businessmen benefit and earn high, while the farmers work under the sun.

More hopes and better opportunities

With the intervention of PRDP, a P5.3M enterprise dubbed as the Sto. Domingo Onion Enterprise (SDOE) will provide onion farmers opportunities to boost their onion-based incomes by ensuring access to storage facilities and support them with market linkages.

The Pulong Buli Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative is the lead proponent of the PRDP-funded onion enterprise, alongside Saint Dominic Farmers’ Cooperative who will also manage the business. The cooperative is currently marketing onion produced by its members and buys to meet demands when necessary but limited only to its present capacity.

“As soon as the Project was launched, our cooperative was already seen as a potential proponent because of the large volume of onion produced here in Dolores, Sto. Domingo,” Gallardo added. According to Gallardo who is a member of the Pulong Buli, the cooperative has helped him and his family in various financial aspects.

For continuous supply to its target markets, some of the onions will be kept in dryer/hanger and cold storage facilities in Palayan City and shall be withdrawn to be delivered in a periodic basis.

With the onion hanger type storage to be provided, the shelf life of the onion will be prolonged and the proponent can buy huge volumes of onion from its farmer-members even during peak season.

At least 15% increase in income through premium prices is expected from the PRDP intervention.

Also part of the enterprise package are forward truck and elf truck for deliveries of onions to target markets and destinations that will eradicate the need for the farmers to rent transport vehicles hence increasing their income. (Kayla Arceo and Dianne Lapuz, DA-PRDP North Luzon InfoACE)