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DA: P30 million worth of 'smuggled' yellow onions seized

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Department of Agriculture handout" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/12/03/20221203-smuggled-onion.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Department of Agriculture handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - The Bureau of Customs and the Department of Agriculture have found some P30 million worth of &quot;smuggled&quot; yellow onions in container vans, the DA said Saturday.</p><p>The estimated 100,000 kilos of yellow onions were discovered on Nov. 29 as the government continues to look into the supposed shortage in onions, the DA said in a press statement.</p><p>The items were misdeclared as bread/pastries.</p><p>Import documents also showed that the shipment &quot;did not undergo any food safety regulations,&quot; the statement said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/03/22/over-1000-bags-of-smuggled-white-onion-seized-in-manila">Over 1,000 bags of smuggled white onion confiscated in Manila</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/28/22/da-monitoring-red-onion-supply-as-prices-soar">DA monitoring red onion supply as prices reach P300 per kilo</a></li></ul><p>“This poses a great risk to our consumers,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary James Layug said of the shipment.</p><p>Smuggled agriculture products pose danger to the local agri-fisheries sector because &quot;cargoes may be carriers of transboundary diseases,&quot; he said. </p><p>Authorities from the agriculture department will recommend the filing of charges to the Bureau of Customs.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/02/22/exec-red-onion-supply-enough-but-da-verifying-shortage">PH&#x27;s red onions supply seems &#x27;sufficient&#x27; but DA looking into shortage</a></li></ul><p>Prices per kilogram of red onions soared to P300 in some wet markets this week, even as the country&#x27;s supply seemed &quot;sufficient,&quot; based on the DA&#x27;s monitoring. </p><p>The agriculture department has yet to decide on whether or not to import red and white onions, pending the recommendation of the Bureau of Plant Industry.</p><div><strong>WATCH</strong></div><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=2363902" 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>

Import documents also showed that the shipment 'did not undergo any food safety regulations.'