This study examined the agribusiness dynamics implemented by onion farmers in the First District of Ilocos Sur, Philippines, focusing on the key components of the Business Model Canvas: key partnerships, key activities, key resources, and value propositions. A descriptive–correlational research design was employed using a structured survey questionnaire. Slovin’s formula was applied to determine the sample size, resulting in 300 onion farmers selected from a population of 1,343 farmers across eleven municipalities. Results revealed that 91.3% of farmers collaborate with partners, primarily cooperatives (35%) and fellow farmers (31.1%), with purchasing farm inputs (40.3%) as the most common collaborative activity. Lack of trust between partners (25.2%) was identified as the primary constraint in maintaining partnerships. In terms of key activities, land preparation (18.8%) was identified as the most important activity and also the most time-consuming (28.1%). Tractors and farm machinery (37.5%) were the most needed resources, while high cost of farm inputs (26.1%) emerged as the major challenge in farming operations. Regarding key resources, land was identified as both the most essential (12.5%) and the most difficult resource to access (16.2%), with 73.2% of farmers relying on personal savings and investments to finance farm inputs and 60.4% acquiring machinery through personal purchase. For value propositions, high quality and freshness (30.4%) were the most important determinants of onion value, and direct consumers (38.7%) represented the primary market channel. Proper seed selection (22.4%) was the most common practice to ensure onion quality, while the high cost of farm inputs (21.7%) remained the main barrier to maintaining product quality and value. The findings highlight critical agribusiness factors affecting onion production and provide evidence-based inputs for strengthening business strategies and policy interventions in the local onion industry.
