(New York Public Radio) A pound of red onions now costs more than a pound of beef in the Philippines.
It’s a problem because onions are a staple in Filipino cuisine.
The country is facing a national onion shortage as inflation hikes prices and climate change continues to wreak havoc on crops.
As of Wednesday, local red onions cost as much as $4.50 per pound — 550 Philippine pesos per kg — according to the Department of Agriculture.
“Beef Rump” costs up to $3.96 per pound — while a whole chicken goes for up to $3.99.
Onions are in almost every Filipino dish, said Marilene Montemayor, a senior assistant at the World Bank focused on East Asia and the Pacific. Montemayor works in Washington, D.C. but is from the Philippines. “How can you taste the food without onions?”.. Read More
