Even before his onions are fully grown, Philippine farmer Luis Angeles races to harvest the crop and cash in on eye-watering prices for a vegetable that has become a luxury item in the country.

Onion prices have soared in recent months, reaching as high as 800 pesos (nearly $15) a kilogram in Manila supermarkets, making them more expensive than chicken or pork.

Experts and farmers said the high prices are due to different reasons, including high production and transport cost. But the agricultural industry is facing bigger problems: aging farmers and fewer people interested in farming.