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DA Bicol to conduct research for suitable planting area for onion in Bicol region

LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY (PIA)--Due to a lack of local supply of onions, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Bicol announced on Friday, that they will be conducting trials on their research outreach stations to address the said issue.

‘’This year, our research outreach stations from the six (6) provinces in Bicol will conduct trials to come up with a technology to make [the planting of] onions suitable in our region,’’ DA Bicol Information Officer Lovella Guarin stated.

Guarin said that Bicol is not listed as  onion-producer due to the region's  climate.

‘’In 2021, DA Bicol held trials and demonstration studies about the suitability of onions in our region, thus it was found out in our high value crops development program that our climate is not suitable for its planting, due to our very wet and dry season,’’Guarin stated.

Guarin admitted that there is an insufficient supply of onion in the region.

‘’That is why the prices of onions reached up to Php400 to Php600 per kilo, because most of our supplies are from the National Capital Region (NCR),’’Guarin said.

GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION. Department of Agriculture (DA) Bicol information officer Lovella Guarin imparted that they are conducting research for technologies to grow onions in the region during the Talakayan sa PIA Albay. (PIA5/Albay)

On Jan. 6, a memorandum on onion importation was signed by Pres. Ferdinand ‘BongBong’ Marcos Jr. which authorizes the importation of 21,016 metric tons of the said agricultural product.

The importation of white and red onions was expected to arrive before Jan. 23 which was one of the government interventions to lower its market price, DA Bicol said.

Guarin imparted that planting onion bulbs at home could also be another alternative thus it will only produce one bulb with many leaves.

‘’In some provinces, the onion seed was planted in the pot and it triumphed,’’Guarin stated.

‘’It will take at least 100 to 200 days to grow, that is why it is difficult to produce considering our climate, also onion is a biennial plant which takes up to two-years to flower and produce seeds ’’Guarin added.

Guarin said that they were conducting research for technologies that might help local farmers to have locally produced onions. (PIA5/Albay)

Photo cover: Courtesy of PTV

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Cyryl Montales

Writer PIA/Albay

Region 5

Amor Fati

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