IN the run up to the celebration of the New Year, the Department of Agriculture has started selling well milled rice, sugar, vegetables, including red and white onions, at a lower price through its Kadiwa store program.

The Kadiwa stores have been selling red onions at P170 per kilo, but each buyer can only purchase one kilo each because only 1,000 kilos are available.

Supply of onions has dropped, triggering an increase in prices, now ranging from P660 to P700 per kilo.

Long queues of buyers started forming at the Kadiwa stores set up in Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Makati and Manila.

There are also Kadiwa on wheels and a pop up store at the DA compound in Quezon City.

The supply of onions is expected to improve, with the onset of harvest period expected from the second week of January up to April 2023.

DA officials said the next challenge would be setting up good storage facilities for the vegetables.

The DA has issued a circular setting the suggested retail price or SRP of red onions at P250 per kilo. It was to take effect up to January 2023.

“Considering the effects of the rising fuel prices due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, aggravated by the pandemic cause high prices of agricultural commodities,” it stated.

“In order not to aggravate the current difficulties of the Filipino people affected by the pandemic and rising fuel prices, there is a need to guide the consuming public on the reasonable prices of basic necessities in the market,” it added.