Philippines which has already imposed rice import ban to safeguard its farmers will now halt onion imports as well till February 2026. The Philippine government is expected to impose a temporary suspension on onion imports till Feb 2026 to protect farmers’ income while maintaining a stable market supply. In this regard, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the suspension would take effect about a month before peak harvest. “For onions, definitely we will stop importation one month before harvest, which is around February,” he stated during the 47th ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) meeting.
Imports of white onions began as early as September, helping reduce retail prices to about 100–120 pesos (US$1.70–2.05) per kilogram, down from 160 pesos (US$2.73) before imports. Shipments of red onions are also scheduled to arrive starting October 15 to stabilize supplies during the holiday period. Prices of red onions recently rose to 140–160 pesos (US$2.39–2.73) per kilogram, which prompted the government to authorize early shipments. The Philippine government is expecting to raise the national production of onion to 279,270 metric tons, up from 229,539 metric tons, through expansion of cultivated areas and improved yields. Notably, Philippines has about 35,000 onion farmers, most of whom cultivate small plots averaging 0.5 hectares per household.
According to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), onion production increased at an average annual rate of 10.72%, reaching 229,539 metric tons from 128,837 metric tons between 2011 and 2020. During the same period, the area planted grew by an average of 4.91% annually, rising from 14,641 hectares to 18,391 hectares.