Babala ng DA: bawang, sibuyas at asin, kulang

SINABI ng Department of Agriculture (DA) na hindi kakayanin ng local farm output  ng bawang, sibuyas at asin na ma-meet ang inaasahang demand hanggang sa huling quarter ng taon.

Lumabas kasi  sa  huling pagtataya ng Department of Agriculture (DA) at  attached agencies  nito na Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) at Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), lahat ay “pula.”

Mula Central Luzon hanggang  Calabarzon, Mimaropa at hanggang Visayas, ang sufficiency level para sa bawang ay bumaba ng 0% nitong buwan ng Hulyo.

Inaasahan naman ng mga opisyal na tatagal ng hanggang Nobyembre  ngayong taon  ang kakapusan sa mga nasaving produkto bago pa mabawi ang 57%-sufficient sa Disyembre, inaasahan na domestic harvest ay papalo sa  12,416 metric tons.

Bago ang lean months na nagsimula noong Hunyo,  ang  onion sufficiency level ay nasa triple digits — pumalo sa  “689% coverage at best in March, a harvest month.”

“We have no importation of yellow onions since January… The rest is local stocks,” ang inihayag ni BPl Assistant Director Ariel Bayot sa mga mambabatas sa isang  committee hearing, araw ng Martes.

“While harvest that was harvested [sic] from April or March was computed to last only three to four months, that’s why supply is zero,” dagdag na pahayag nito.

“Even the Ilocos Region, the garlic country, is not producing enough of this major spice. The Philippines is short of garlic by 42 days this quarter ending September, and by 52 days in the last quarter of 2022, ” ang nakasaad naman sa data ng ahensiya.

“We are not sufficient at all pag-dating po sa garlic. We are dependent on importation,” ang pahayag naman ni  DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista sa nasabi pa ring committee hearing.

Sa kabilang dako, kumikilos naman ang mga ahensiya na nagtatrabaho sa coastal villages para maghanap ng paraan para tulungan ang mga salt producers na labanan ang kakapusan.

“As far as local production [of salt] is concerned, admittedly we have not produced enough,” ayon kay Evangelista sabay sabing ang “technology and competition with cheap salt imports are some of the issues that salt producers struggle with.”

Samantala, sinimulan na ng pamahalaan ang dayalogo sa  fastfood chains,  na pinalitan na ng gulay ang paggamit nila ng sibuyas.

“We have already spoken with fastfood chains who are big onion users and we are going to start contract growing. Of course, protecting the farmers that their price will not be sacrificed,” ayon kay Evangelista. (Daris Jose)