The Department of Agriculture in the Zamboanga Peninsula (DA-9) has joined hands with a farmers’ group in Occidental Mindoro province to market their red onions in the region at a cheaper price.

“We assist them in marketing their products and at the same time to offer onions to the local buying public at a cheaper price,” said Marissa Mohammad, DA-9’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) chief, in an interview Friday.

The marketing linkage was forged Thursday between the DA-9 AMAD and the Contoroy Bato Singit Irrigators Farmers Association, Inc. (CBSIFAI) in Occidental Mindoro.

“Their initial destination is Cebu City, but they decided to move to Zamboanga City after they failed to agree as to the selling price of onions,” Mohammad said.

The CBSIFAI is selling red onions at PHP100 a kilo, which is cheaper by PHP30 compared to the prevailing price at the local market of PHP130 per kilo.

The previous prevailing price of red onions at the local market was PHP600 a kilo.

The Mindoro farmers’ group initially brought 13 metric tons of red onions to this city. They are currently stationed along Maria Clara Lorenzo Lobregat highway in Barangay Divisoria.

“There is an oversupply of onions in Occidental Mindoro that is why we decided to come to Zamboanga to market our products,” said Rebecca Ablanzar, a farmer-leader of the association, in a phone interview Friday.

DA-9 AMAD staff member Ma. Teresa Mangulad said hundreds of kilos of red onions were also brought to the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga del Sur for consumers to avail of the affordable onions at PHP100 per kilo through the facilitation of the DA-9 Kadiwa Team.

She said the farmers’ group still has some seven metric tons of red onions for sale. (PNA)