BUTUAN CITY – As a staple food and spice in Filipino culinary, the country consumes an estimated 17,000 metric tons of onions every month. This huge consumption and increasing demand in the market left even the biggest local producers from Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Mimaropa overwhelmed, thus, the Philippines opted to source out and import onions from India, China and the United States.

As a mindful and dedicated ally on food security, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga took the challenge to consider onion plantation and production in the region to remove its dependency on supply from the islands of Luzon and Visayas, with its successful harvest of quality red onion in Butuan City, through the local government unit’s Agriboost program, in partnership with stakeholders and the local farmers. 

Despite failed trials and multiple attempts experienced by the region, the determined team's persistence and willingness to adopt precise and appropriate technological interventions for red onion cultivation in Butuan City and the wider Caraga Region challenged the notion that this area is unsuitable for onion production due to its wet weather conditions. The team's commitment to conducting accurate demonstrations and implementing advanced technology showcased that with the right approach, successful onion cultivation is indeed feasible in this region. 

The DA’s High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) conducted a thorough examination of the potential for onion production in the Caraga Region. They initiated technology demonstrations on 100-square meter plots per site, which necessitated the use of greenhouse covering or rain shelter. This was due to the extended sunlight requirements for onions, posing a challenge in a region like Caraga with no distinct dry season. Additionally, the initiative highlighted the necessity of sandy soil for the successful cultivation of onions.

This program was initially participated by 16 local government units in the region, including the three DA-Caraga research stations situated at Tagbina, Surigao del Sur, Del Monte and Trento in Agusan del Sur that received planting materials, technical support and strong coordination between the operation and research group for any development of the said techno-demo sites.

To sustain this gain in food security and make the region a sustainable supplier of onion in the country, the DA Caraga started to replicate and fast track this significant milestone through capacity training to the employees of the department and the local government units. For instance, on September 7 to 8, 2023, a two-day training focused on lowland vegetable and onion production was organized at RAFTITTI, Inc. in Cuarinta, San Jose, Province of Dinagat Islands. This training aimed to equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively contribute to sustainable onion production, furthering the region's potential to meet the country's onion demands consistently.

Twenty-five technical personnel from the Operations Division of DA Caraga, including the special Projects on Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo (4K) and the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD), two from the Provincial Agriculture Office of Dinagat Islands and representatives from the municipalities of the province participated in the training, with primary objective that these participants can now augment in the tasks of cascading new farming technologies on onion production to the farmers in the region.

As published by the Department of Agriculture, the Philippine Onion Industry Roadmap 2021–2025 established the need for the country to increase production from 229,539 metric tons to 279, 270 metric tons in five years by increasing area planted and productivity to achieve self-sufficiency.

With this success, Caraga Region progressively joins to be a new producer of onion in the country, and is determined to help the government achieve food security and reduce reliance on importation. (RLE/PIA-Caraga)