Onion Prices Plunge 28% Ahead of Harvest: "Cultivation Area Shrinks, Yet Prices Fall Further"

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Council (Chairman Park Seongman) announced on the 8th that it had issued a "Statement Urging Emergency Measures Against the Plunge in Onion Prices," amid growing concerns over a sharp drop in prices ahead of the 2026 onion harvest.

According to the Seoul Agro-Fisheries & Food Corporation, the wholesale price of 2025 onions in January 2026 is expected to be 1,048 won per kilogram, down about 28% from the same period the previous year (1,455 won per kilogram for 2024 onions in January 2025). Despite a reduction in onion cultivation area, prices have fallen, which is seen not as a simple market fluctuation but as a structural problem.

Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly

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Imported onions are also cited as a major factor worsening the situation. According to the Korea Customs Service, the total import volume of fresh onions in 2025 was 82,626 tons, similar to the average year (85,326 tons). However, the import price per ton ranged from 201 to 271 dollars, which is significantly lower than the average year (289 to 428 dollars), putting further pressure on domestic onions in the local market. In addition, there have been cases where some imported onions from China were found to contain pesticide residues at levels up to five times the permitted standard (0.01 mg/kg), raising further concerns about consumer safety.

In response, the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council plans to officially urge the government to: △ immediately isolate government-held reserve onions from the market before the 2026 harvest season, △ establish policies to ensure appropriate onion prices, △ implement proactive supply and demand stabilization measures before the 2026 harvest season, △ expand contract farming led by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (Nonghyup) to over 30%, and △ completely overhaul the customs clearance, quarantine, and traceability management systems for imported onions.

Shin Hyogwang, Chair of the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Livestock Committee of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, said, "With fertilizer and labor costs continuing to rise while only onion prices keep dropping, the intended cultivation area for onions in 2026 has been surveyed at 16,952 hectares, a 6.9% decrease from the previous year. If onion cultivation area declines, farmers may switch to crops with similar growing conditions such as potatoes and garlic, potentially triggering price crashes for those crops as well. The government must move beyond reactive measures and instead establish proactive and systematic supply and demand management policies."

Park Seongman, Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, stated, "The price of 2025 onions plummeted by over 40% within two months, dropping from 1,368 won in April 2025 (right after harvest) to 767 won in June, falling below production costs. The council will do its utmost to stand by farmers and prevent a situation where onion prices fall short of production costs."

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