New cold storage facility helps Tarlac onion farmers protect harvest

SAN MANUEL, Tarlac — Tarlac has inaugurated a 10,000-bag onion cold storage facility in San Manuel to help farmers reduce postharvest losses and increase their income.

The Metrobank Foundation (MBFI), in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and the local government of San Manuel, spearheaded the project.

Tarlac ranks sixth among the country’s top onion-producing provinces based on average production over the past five years, making the facility a vital safeguard against recurring postharvest losses.

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For generations, local farmers have faced a persistent dilemma: a bountiful harvest did not guarantee fair earnings. When seasonal supply peaked and market prices plunged, they had little leverage, forcing them to sell their produce immediately to avoid spoilage or accept severely reduced payouts.

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READ: Marcos to open P500-million cold storage facility in CamSur

The newly established facility extends the shelf life of harvested onions by several months, allowing farmers to store their produce, MBFI said on Monday, Nov. 9.

This enables farmers to wait for favorable market conditions rather than rush to sell their harvest. Financial analyses indicate that access to the storage facility can increase a farmer’s income by 20.82 percent to 41.63 percent.

The project also includes two trucks to streamline hauling and delivery operations, transporting produce directly from farms to storage or target markets.

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READ: Cold storage facilities in every barangay pushed

San Manuel Mayor Donya Tesoro expressed her appreciation for the Metrobank Foundation’s donation to her agriculture-dependent town in a social media post.

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“A dream finally brought to life. Thank you, Metrobank Foundation, for giving our farmers more than a cold storage facility — you gave them the gift of time, opportunity to succeed, and a fighting chance to earn more from the onions they worked so hard to grow! Now, it’s not only the farmers who get to chill — even their onions do!” Tesoro said.

Local onion cooperatives and farmers also welcomed the development, noting its potential impact on the community.

“We farmers will no longer have to worry as much about our produce getting damaged or rotting,” Paet said, expressing relief.

Pagbiagan Multipurpose Cooperative President Eulogio Cabiles said onion farming had funded generations of education in his family and that the modern facility would help secure a more prosperous, worry-free future for succeeding generations of Tarlac farmers.

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“When we were young, we were already passionate about growing onions. This was also how our parents earned a living to send us to school. For the next generation, this facility is a great development because they will have fewer worries,” Cabiles said. /mcm