Pimentel sees 'price manipulation' behind soaring onion prices

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt=" Customers sift through red onions at a stall in Divisoria market in Manila on Aug. 18, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/12/30/20220818-red-onions-divisoria-gc-9.jpg"/><figcaption>Customers sift through red onions at a stall in Divisoria market in Manila on Aug. 18, 2022. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Price manipulation could be the reason for the soaring prices of onions in the country, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino &quot;Koko&quot; Pimentel III said Tuesday.</p><p>The price of onions skyrocketed to P700 a kilo in some public markets in Metro Manila during the holiday season.</p><p>&quot;Most likely, ito ang personal opinion ko, there’s some price manipulation,&quot; Pimentel told ANC&#x27;s &quot;Headstart&quot;.</p><p>&quot;And how do you manipulate the price? Marami na ‘yun. Use the supply chain as the reason for a decrease in supply,&quot; he added.</p><p>The senator noted there is no global onion shortage. </p><p>He said the Department of Agriculture should also be well-aware of farming seasons.</p><p>&quot;Was there a lack of world supply? Hindi po eh because there’s smuggling going on. Therefore, had the DA been studying, you know, the seasons—harvest season [and] cropping season, alam na dapat nila &#x27;yan,&quot; Pimentel said.</p><p>&quot;Sabi ko nga kahapon, how old is the Department of Agriculture? It’s more than 100 years old as a department,&quot; he added.</p><p>Onion planting starts in September while harvesting peaks in February.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/16/23/senators-farmers-blame-da-poor-planning-for-onion-crisis">Senators, farmers confront DA over onion crisis, blame agency&#x27;s &#x27;poor planning&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>Pimentel said lawmakers will demand accountability for the onion crisis.</p><p>&quot;We will have to demand some accountability kasi may mga mali eh,&quot; he said.</p><p>He also believed it&#x27;s about time that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. should appoint a full-time agriculture secretary.</p><p>The President appointed himself to the top post of DA when he took office in June.</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;ve been calling for that, espousing the need for a regular agricultural secretary to be appointed,&quot; he said. &quot;Nothing to lose. It&#x27;s an additional expert person to help the President focus on agricultural issues and problems.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/16/23/pinagsamantalahan-local-farmers-forced-to-sell-onions-for-p8-p15kilo">&#x27;Pinagsamantalahan&#x27;: Farmers forced to sell onions for P8-P15/kilo</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2422432" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div> </div>

Price manipulation could be the reason for the soaring prices of onions in the country, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino 'Koko' Pimentel III said.