Red onion pool makes yellow dust

The pool result for week 10 amounts to 17,56 euros per 100 kilos for the 2016 harvest. That level is in line with the entire market, but is below the results of previous years. The 2015 harvest yielded a price of 25,77 euros and the 2014 harvest a price of 19,52 euros.

The participants are satisfied with the result, says buyer Remko Wilms. 'It is a 3-year average, which makes red onion cultivation one of the highest-yielding on the farm for the participating growers. Considering the price development of the yellow onions, the red onions have performed well. Even more so because the net kilos of red did not differ much from the yellow varieties. Through breeding we have varieties that deliver both kilos and quality. Yet the cultivation and storage risk of red remains higher.'

Tare fantastically low
When it comes to quality, superlatives are thrown around. "On average, the quality has been fantastic," Wilms summarizes. 'Tare percentages between 2 and 8 percent are surprisingly low. Just like with the yellow onions, it sorted like a charm. We did not see the erratic growing season reflected in quality. This is partly due to the nice weather during ripening and harvest. The product also had a beautiful color. All pool participants come from Flevoland. They store their onions in boxes themselves, only sow BC coated seed and have the Global Gap certificate. Those are our demands. The pool consists solely of top growers. We demand a supermarket-suitable product. That includes good growers.' Waterman Onions is the initiator of the pool, but Flevo Onions is free to whom it sells the onions.

Average stock market quotation
Flevo Onions sold the product roughly between January and April. It consciously chooses delivery from storage. Afland doesn't do any business. 'During this period, the average stock exchange quotation in Emmeloord was 16,50 euros per 100 kilos,' says Wilms. 'With the pool we are more than one euro above that. From the 17,56 euros, only 30 cents weighing costs per tonne will be deducted. In the same period, the average stock exchange quotation for yellow onions was 5,40 euros, a significant difference of 11 euros.'

The development of the red onion price in Emmeloord. More prizes? look at the database.

Red onion in demand
The red onion owes the significant price difference to its self-created sales market. Red onions are not used for distant exports, but are sold in Europe. Spain, England and Germany are important markets. We should not level out retail in the Netherlands either, according to the onion man. 'Red onions are also grown elsewhere in Europe, but the Dutch red onion is in a class of its own. It distinguishes itself in quality and uniformity. Especially this season. You see a trend in Western Europe where more attention is paid to nutrition. Consumers are conscious and spend more money on luxurious and healthy food. Yellow onions are the foundation of a meal. Red is culinary, because of its shape and taste. The market benefits from this. There is room for some expansion in Europe, but caution is advised.'

Share of red in area is increasing
Not only consumers, but also Dutch onion growers like the red variant. Wilms expects an increase in the area this year. 'The area for yellow onions is increasing slightly. Particularly in the new cultivation areas: Drenthe, Northeast Groningen and North Friesland. The share of red continues to increase in percentage terms, an old-fashioned price issue. Not necessarily a bad thing, but we see new growers immediately start with red, while cultivation is a profession in itself. Our motto: first become a good yellow onion grower and then start with red.'

In the onion pool, the number of participants increased slightly again in the past season. 'We also expect to welcome new growers for the coming season. In addition, there are participants who contribute more acreage. Nationally, the onion area is divided into approximately 90 percent yellow and 10 percent red onions. Within Flevo Onions that ratio is almost 75 to 25 percent. We will not change the design of the pool. We see the fact that Agrifirm and PPA are starting a pool for red onions this year as a compliment to our pool, which has pioneered in this area. It gives mixed feelings. As a member of the pool committee, we try to achieve the highest results and try to be unique, while as a buyer of Waterman Onions I would like to welcome more offers.'

The marketing season for red onions is almost over. The red onions are sold out again this year. The last trade was done for 25 cents, in view of the advantages of Dutch onions compared to those from Egypt.