Onions make the Philippines cry: they cost more than meat and end up in the smuggling market

BEIJING – They now cost more than a pound of beef. They have become the new gold, a luxury product: which is also coveted by traffickers. The Philippines are grappling with an unusual crisis: that of onions, the main ingredient of every dish. Those that can still be seen on market stalls are sold for up to 700 pesos per kilogram, almost 12 euros: a fortune.