If You Have An Oversupply Of Onions, Then You Have An Undersupply Of Brains Thinking How To Turn “Extra” Bulbs Into “Extra” Cash! Learn From Rod Agas (Mindoro) And Amy Cabrera (Batangas City)

Agriculture is not all about primary produce; it is also about by-products. Throwing away produce that you cannot sell is a failure in market-ability, not farm productivity!

Dennis Datutells us that oversupply of onions is a major headache of growers elsewhere, but not in Occidental Mindoro and Batangas City [01 May 2022, “Mga Taga-Mindoro Dumiskarte Para Magamit Ang Oversupply Ng Sibuyas,” ABS-CBN News, abs-cbn.com. (From hereon, I will quote Mr Datu, translating his 100% Tagalog news freely into English, into this: “Mindoro People Strategize To Use Oversupply Of Onions.”)]
(image from rainwaterrunoff.com)

I see that as a major lesson for all Filipino farmers: “If you have an oversupply of produce, then you have an undersupply of brains to turn produce into product/s!”

Mr Datu says:

Last month, farmers of Occidental Mindoro had the problem of falling onion prices because of oversupply. Much of the onion harvest rotted after being thrown away. To prevent the spoilage of the onions disposed of, one resident thought of a way to benefit from the bulbs. Since he was already concocting herbal products, Rod Agas thought of turning the bulbs into onion flakes and powder. Using a dehydrator and powdering machine, he began processing the bulbs.

The report says:

Agas says the natural flavor of the onions is not lost even after food processing. In the flakes, once fried with oil, the onion smell returns; the onion smell really comes out. When you sprinkle the flakes on ramen, the taste is stronger.

Agas says many people order for his flakes. He is selling the onion flakes at P600/kilo and powder at P90/gram.

Celso Olido, head of the Agri-Marketing Assistance Division of the Department of Agriculture-Mimaropa, says they have been studying if there are wider markets for the flakes and powder.

He says:

We are going to bring this to the company that imports onion powder. Once they give the signal that the powder passes their quality standards, we will find a way to put up a village-type processing plant.

That’s the Department of Agriculture working extra for the farmers!

Mr Datu says, “Elsewhere, in Batangas City, pickled onion is popular.” This is how it’s done:

Amy Cabrera peels and cuts the bulbs. She soaks them in a mixture of vinegar, sugar, salt and black pepper that is boiled, and afterwards poured into the jar containing the bulb cuts. She adds whole peppers and chili.

Ms Amy says her recipe came from her grandmother. “It’s perfect for barbecue, roast chicken, sausage. You know it’s onion, but the taste is no longer that of onion.”

Meanwhile, the price of onion in Occidental Mindoro has gone up.

Turned into onion flakes, onion powder, and/or onion pickles – no longer will onion bulbs be wasted and thrown as oversupply.

I say: “Innovation is producing cold cash out of hot onion bulbs thrown away. Onion innovators are  turning a problem into many an opportunity!”@517