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Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. directed the Bureau of Plant Industry to conduct inspection of different cold storage facilities for keeping freshly harvested onions.

Tiu Laurel said the order was a precautionary measure against hoarding of onions.

Tiu Laurel said I told them to investigate if there are some freshly-harvested onions being kept in cold storage facilities because it should not be happening.

He is awaiting reports because it’s not easy to inspect cold storage facilities, which are mostly outside Manila. He said inspections may take 4-7 days before concerned personnel could come up with reports.

Earlier, agricultural group SINAG proposed that onions must have a maximum SRP too “is worth considering, and that there is nothing wrong with it.”

Tiu Laurel noted that the prevailing price of onions has remained stable at P170/kilo.