Is mercy so expensive that no one could afford to give it to our farmers?
For several months, the price of onions has brought Filipinos to tears since a kilogram of the produce costs as much as ₱700 in Metro Manila. Although many people have shed blood over its price, the cause for the unreasonable increase remains ambiguous among them. In this case, Filipinos have a lot of speculation about it, given the country's economic climate.
However, according to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., they plan to import 22,000 metric tons of onions as they appear to have no other option to alleviate the effects of brutally high inflation and growing consumer woes in the country. This plan is a hard pill to swallow because it may only benefit consumers at the expense of farmers’ livelihoods. And, from any perspective, this action is brutal to Filipino farmers who have been reprimanded for decades by the fraudulent system.
One of the things that bothers me about this devised plan is President Marcos' apparent ignorance of the Filipino farmers’ visibility. According to the administration, they were led to this decision because the quantity demanded is greater than the supply, which is why the price is skyrocketing. However, he did not anticipate that the import plan would clash with the onion harvest season. And this ignorance could lead to oversupply in the country and losses on both sides. Why did this idea come into their fold just now? When in fact, various farmer's organizations, like the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag), already recommended importing last November and December to address the increase in onion prices. That being said, this plan is illogical and appears to jeopardize the livelihoods of Filipino farmers.
With tons of red onions expected to arrive, it is not unlikely that they will dominate the public markets. Knowing how easily the word ‘imported’ blinds Filipinos. As a result, we will be overly reliant on imported onions, forcing local farmers to accept lower farmgate prices just to get their products sold and not rot. This means that if the import proposal is approved, they may have to sell their onions at a loss. If those in power truly care, they should consider how they are depriving their fellow Filipinos of a living. And if it results in losses, how will they recover? Filipino farmers will be severely disadvantaged. As such, the government lacks a massive program or even a single plan for farmers and the country's agricultural sector.
On the other hand, while farmgate prices will fall because of the process, there is no guarantee that retail prices will fall at the same rate because distribution and other transaction costs will remain high. Because the truth is, there is no certainty in this plan. Onions and other commodities will remain golden if hoarding and price manipulation are not exterminated in the country. In short, there is nothing wrong with the supply in the country. In fact, according to Senator Cynthia Villar, it’s these cartels that are defrauding the farmers and onion buyers. In other words, their plan is likely to cause excruciating pain as they continue to squeeze consumers' budgets while making local farmers weep at the loss.
The importation plan will not solve the steep increase in the price of bulbs. In fact, according to President Rosendo So of Sinag, this will only benefit traders because, for sure, they will stockpile their supplies. Simply put, this importation plan is not a solution to the onion price crisis.
To effectively address this crisis, farmers, consumers, and the government must go after deceitful traders and instantly break their hoarding and price manipulation to deal with the supply dilemma, which has intensified inflationary pressures. This must be done while also boosting government production and providing trading assistance to local onion farmers. Furthermore, the government should improve farmer productivity, which economists believe could be a solution to the Philippines' price inflation.
The price of onions today is no laughing matter. It truly brings us to tears. Nevertheless, if the Marcos administration's importation plan is carried out, someone is about to cry in the end. And without a doubt, it’s the Filipino farmers. Because of what they are doing, they seem to be burying farmers alive in their farmland. And the actions that they considered to be effective solutions are extremely detrimental to crops.
It's time to put an end to the blatant ignorance and cruelty toward Filipino farmers. It has been a decade since they endured the system that is merciless to their livelihood. Is mercy so expensive that our government can’t afford it for our farmers? A kilo of onions, I believe, is still more expensive than a little mercy, which they truly deserved all along. In the end, I'd rather eat food without onions than risk Filipino farmers' livelihoods.
Article: Harold G. Hernandez
Graphics: Haui Sacay
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