Yellow granex onions from Bongabon in the Philippines have regained entry to the Japanese market after a 13-year gap.

The first shipment of 20 tonnes embarked last week with an official container-sealing ceremony performed by Philippine agriculture Proceso Alcala.

Andrew Villacorta, department of agriculture regional director said: “The export market became dormant for a while as local prices for onions remained stable to the satisfaction of growers who became less interested in exporting their produce. An opportunity to re-open came lately when a supermarket chain from Japan ordered from the National Onion Growers Cooperative Marketing Association (Nogrocoma) of Bongabon.”

Nogrocoma’s deal with its Japanese customer was to supply onions 67-70mm. Bongabon supplies almost 60 per cent of the Philippines’s entire onion crop and now neighbouring districts Santo Domingo, Guimba, Talavera, Laur, and Gabaldon as well as San Jose City are slowly increasing their areas devoted to production.