ONION PRICES REACH RECORD HIGHS IN PHILIPPINES

Never mind gold and oil, the hottest commodity currently in the Philippines is the humble onion.

With the demand so high and farmers unable to keep up, some restaurants have stopped adding it to their dishes. The government has stepped in and has approved the importation of 21,000 tonnes of onions.

The current price of R260 per kilogram means onions are now more expensive than chicken or pork.

Some shops have sold onions at more than the country’s minimum daily wage and they still sold out.

It’s believed that the humble onion has become a sign of wealth in the Philippines as one bride even used onions in her wedding bouquet to show off her family’s wealth.

It seems as if everyone is trying to make a quick buck and cash in on the high demand. Crew members from the local airline Philippine Airlines were recently caught red-handed when they tried to smuggle bags of onions through Manila’s airport.

It’s believed that climate change has had a massive impact on onions and that it will soon pop up among other fruit and vegetable sectors as well.

The country’s tropical climate and recent climate changes now only allow one planting of seeds per year.

Image credit: Good Housekeeping