Evaluating the Benefits of Onion Cold Storage Facilities in Eastern Pangasinan

AGRICULTURE

This study assessed the socioeconomic importance of creating government-owned onion cold storage facilities for local onion farmers in the Fifth District of Pangasinan. The research addressed the challenges faced by these farmers, including issues with product quality, profit optimization, economic benefits, and storage efficacy, as well as barriers to adopting cold storage. A non-experimental, descriptive research design was employed, utilizing a questionnaire-checklist to gather data from 241 local onion farmers. The findings aimed to provide a thorough understanding of the role of cold storage in improving the livelihoods of local farmers. The study explored the impact of inadequate storage infrastructure on onion farming in the Fifth District of Pangasinan. It examined how the lack of accessible and affordable cold storage contributes to post-harvest losses, diminishing farmer income, and disrupting regional onion supply stability. The research investigated the perceived benefits of cold storage facilities among farmers, focusing on improvements in product quality, opportunities for profit optimization, broader economic advantages, and enhanced storage efficacy. The findings are intended to contribute to the development of strategies that will not only reduce post-harvest losses and stabilize market prices but also empower local onion farmers and foster the region's agricultural economy's long-term growth. The study identified significant relationships between how farmers perceive the benefits of onion cold storage and the obstacles they see to adopting it. Specifically, farmers who believe cold storage improves product quality are also very aware of the need for equipment maintenance. Also, farmers who think cold storage is effective for extending shelf life are more likely to be concerned about the high energy costs and technical challenges of running the facilities.

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