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Philippine onions are set to re-enter the Japanese market after 13 years of dormancy as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Onion Growers Cooperative Marketing Association (NOGROCOMA) send off a trial shipment of 20 metric tons (MT) of yellow granex onions on March 15 at the Golden Shineyard in the Manila Harbor Centre.
The initial volume of the yellow granex onions is packed in 1,000 bagsat 20 kilograms each and loaded in a40feet container van which had been transported from the NOGROCOMA farm site in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija. It wasshipped from the country on March 17 andis expected to arrive at Osaka, Japan after three days.
The shipment comes after Japanese company,Hannan Seika Co. Ltd., agreed to purchase three vans or 60 tons of yellow granexonionsthat are at least 7cm diameter in size. This takes place 13 years after the country stopped exporting the said commoditydue to production and marketing concerns and stiff competition in the global market.
“On behalf of the entire DA family, we are happy that this has already started. It’s been a dream of the private sector headed by (NOGROCOMA Chairperson and CEO) DulceGozon that we revive the export of yellow onions. During the 1970s, the Philippines wasexporting onions but then it stopped in 2000. Now we hope that this will be a good start,” DA Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup said in an interview.
The shipment is also the result of the visit made by Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR)Technology Commercialization Division Assistant Head Digna Sandoval, NOGROCOMA Secretary-Treasurer Fe Amor Ilagan and Japanese partner Dr. TehukoHaga to Osaka, Japan on February 3 to explore the possibility of re-opening the Japanese market for yellow granex.
“Secretary Alcala is very happy with this as he is very keen on the export market. He envisions a better export performance for Philippine agriculture and fishery products,” Asst. Sec. Salacup stated, adding that there is also hope of exporting rice and mangosteen.
This venture is funded under the DA-assisted project “Enhancing the Productivity of Yellow Onion (Allium cepa L.) towards Commercialization for the Export Market” being implemented by NOGROCOMA, in collaboration with the DA High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) and BAR.This project aims to enhance the efficiency of onion production through appropriate technologies in coming up with higher yield and quality produce for the export market.Under the project, 60 farmers were selected as farmer-cooperators in project sites in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija and Bayambang,Pangasinan.
“After many years of looking for a market, I am happy that we’re finally able to haveone. I firmly believe that the Philippine onion is the sweetest onion in the world. Hopefully, this shipment to Japan will revive the export of onions,” NOGROCOMA Chairperson and CEO Gozon said.
Yellow granex onions makeup 15% of the total production of the three types of onions produced in the country. The other two varieties are the shallots, which account for 15%, and the remaining 70% is of the red creole variety.
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| NAFC Exec. Dir. Ariel Cayanan, DA Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup and NOGROCOMA Chairperson and CEO Dulce Gozon look on as Bureau of Plant Industry Director Clarito Barron officially seals the 40 feet container van carrying the 20MT or 1,000 bags of yellow granex onions to be shipped to Osaka, Japan. |
Gozon added that more farmers will benefit from this export tie-up with Japan should it push through, as they plan to expand their supply base by includingfarmers in Occidental Mindoro and San Jose, Nueva Ecija.
“We’ve only just begunand yet the farm price (for this commodity) has already increased, so this will help farmers greatly. I hadn’t expected that this would happen, but it did and I feel really glad about it,” Gozon said.
Gozon is also the former Chairperson and now the adviser of the National Agricultural and Fishery Council (NAFC) Committee on Food Crops and Sub-Committee on Fruits and Vegetables.
Also making this undertaking possible are the members of the National Onion Action Team (NOAT) headed by its Chairperson, Leah Cruz of the Vegetable Importers, Exporters and Vendors Association or VIEVA (Phils.) Inc.NAFC and DA-HVCDP serve as the secretariat of the NOAT.
NAFC Executive Director Ariel Cayanan and newly installed Acting Deputy Executive Director FlorabelleUy-Yap also graced the send-off ceremony, together with Agricultural Support and Coordination Assistant Division Chief JulietaOpulencia.
Other officials present in the ceremony were DAAgribusiness, Marketing and Assistance Services Director LeandroGazmin, Bureau of Plant Industry Director Clarito Barron, HVCDP Project Development Officer Mariflor Aquino and VIEVA Phils. Inc Consultant LambertoPunsalan.
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