A country where onions are more expensive than meat

There is This figure is more than the daily minimum wage in the Philippines. It is around US$9.

Due to rising prices, the country’s authorities have even seized illegal onion exports.

In early January, onions worth US$310,000 were intercepted from China Try to smuggle them Like their clothes.

On social media, Filipinos have posted humorous messages criticizing the government, which they blame in part for the current situation.

“Goodbye chocolates, hello onions. Chibuyas [cebolla] There is a possibility of Best pasalubong [regalo] to take home In the Philippines,” a Filipino living in the US posted on Twitter.

“We came back from our trip to Saudi Arabia with onions instead of chocolates,” wrote another.

Another user who traveled to America shared the picture A jar of onion powder.

“Since onions have become as valuable as gold in the Philippines, I wanted to buy these jars to take home as gifts,” it says.

“But I’ve been to five supermarkets All stocks are sold out“.

“I asked a vendor what happened and he told me, ‘Filipino tourists bought it all,'” he says.

ING Bank Senior Economist Nicholas Mapa, who lives in the Philippine capital Manila, said some restaurants even They have stopped selling products containing onion.

Portions of onion rings that usually accompany burgers, for example, They have disappeared from some menus.

“They can’t properly price their produce or supply onions,” he told the BBC by email.

Some companies are looking for alternatives.

Chef Jame Melchor, founder of the Movement to Preserve the Culinary Heritage of the Philippines, Looking for people with disabilities.

Finally, he has turned to his own type of onion called Lasona, which has a different flavor than the varieties traditionally used and is smaller than a grape.

“Both restaurants and the general public are affected by the situation. Onion prices are high nowSo we’re trying to use the alternatives we have,” he told the BBC.

“Onions are very important to the local cuisine. All the food we prepare here has onions. It is a staple ingredient in all Filipino cuisines.Melkor added.

Nicholas Mapa says there are at least two factors behind the price hike.

Agriculture Department projections released in August point to that The country will produce less onion are necessary

A in the Philippines Major hurricanes between August and September.

“Unfortunately, import of onions started late and only after that The price will go up And very close to the harvest season, which is in February,” the economist explained.

In the first week of January, the government approved the importation About 22 million tonnes Efforts should be made to regulate onion supply and control prices.

For some experts like Fermin Adriano, who was once a consultant to the Department of Agriculture, Its management has failed of the present administration.

According to him, the government should have ordered enough imports to at least match the supply with the expected demand, knowing that domestic production was low.

On social media, some Filipinos see a connection between the mismanagement of the agriculture sector and the controversial president. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., popularly known as “Bangbang”. And after being elected last year, he declared himself Minister of Agriculture.

This despite his lack of experience in the matter.

Es Son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. He led a brutal regime in the Philippines in the 1970s and 1980s, and was overthrown in 1986 by popular protests that forced the family to flee the country.

In 1991, Pongbang returned to the Philippines and began his political career.

He was a governor, representative and senator before being elected president.

Part of Marcos’ campaign was based on trying to sell voters A “golden age” of dictatorshipAn expression that has been used jokingly by many on social networks, jokingly writes that the “gold” the politician refers to is the price of onions.

Rabobank’s analyst Cindy van Rijswyk says the Philippines has traditionally been an onion importer: it consumes more than it produces.

This demand is highly fluctuating: from five million kg in 2011 to 132 million in 2016.

“The country usually buys from India, China and the Netherlands. Subject to price and availability” said the inspector.

One reason for this bias is that the Most of the Philippine onion production, Considering the climatic conditions, it is a species with short useful life.

That’s different from what happens in parts of northern Europe and North America, where, under the right conditions, onions can be stored for up to a year, says van Rijswyck.

“In most parts of the world, onions are among the top three most consumed vegetables”

“For this reason, there are also onions It is the third most produced vegetable in the world On a block basis”

“Only tomatoes and cucumbers have higher production levels,” says van Rijswijk.

Onion price hike too es A problem for others Countries.

In other countries, onion prices have risen to a lesser extent.

According to official statistics, Brazil had the highest cumulative increase in 2022: 130.14%.

Reasons for increase include reduction The amount of cultivated land and high production costs Commodities such as fertilizers and pesticides were affected by international exchange rates and the war in Ukraine.

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