(Eagle News)–The government is setting up cold storage warehouses to help stabilize the price of the agricultural product during the peak harvest season.

“Yun talaga ‘yung kailangan para ‘yung presyo kasi pagka tag-araw, siyempre nag-aani tayo ng sibuyas, bababa, maraming supply, bababa ‘yung presyo. Pag may cold storage tayo hindi na kailangan ipagbili kaagad. Kung ano man lang ang kailangan, ano ‘yung demand, para pati na sa consumer, ‘yung presyo ay medyo pantay-pantay kahit tag-araw, tag-ulan,” he told onion producers in Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan during a town hall consultation in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro on Tuesday.

He said the warehouses will be solar-powered to ensure a reduction in electricity costs.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Department of Agriculture (DA) was already currently establishing two cold storage facilities in Occidental Mindoro—one in San Jose and another in Magsaysay.

Each cold storage is expected  to have a capacity of 1,400 tons.

Next year, he said the DA will build another five cold storage warehouses to be funded by this year’s budget.

“Mayroon pa tayong matatanggap na suporta mula kay Presidente through DOF at DBM na maglaan ng maraming cold storage na solar,” the DA chief said.

“Baka ang target namin ay bumili ng 600 units eh na containerized cold storage na ibibigay sa bawat cooperative para makatulong sa pag-store ng mga harvest n’yo during peak season para maibenta n’yo later at hindi magsabay-sabay bumagsak sa merkado at bumagsak ang presyo ninyo,” he added.

Citing government data, the Presidential Communications Office said the Mimaropa region leads onion production in the country, with 46.94 thousand metric tons produced from April to June 2023 quarter, or 55.3 percent share of the total.

It was followed by Central Luzon with 23.66 thousand metric tons and Ilocos Region with 12.54 thousand metric tons.