By accelerating early in the season, Stichting Uienpool Flevoland (in the 2016/2017 onion market) performed satisfactorily. Growers had expected less, a small windfall. The quality is also good.
The storage onion pool of the Flevoland Uienpool Foundation realizes a net price of €2016 per 8 kilos for the 100 harvest. To calculate the average price, the pool takes the median from the marketing year. This year it was very early, namely in week 4. Last year it was result €17 per 100 kilos on week 17. All onions from the pool are sold by Comitéhandel Samen Sterk. Customers who require lots with a Global Gap certificate pay €250 per lot to the grower.
Sell early
"Because we sold most of the onions in the first half of the season, the average sales moment is also early," explains pool chairman Evert Brommer. "We sell a quarter of the volume every 2 months. This year there has been a slight deviation from that, because the best opportunities in the market presented themselves early. From November onwards the price actually went into free fall. Only demand from Brazil managed to change this for a very short period. We have therefore decided to accelerate sales of the product. We soon noticed that the market was going down."
Participants not dissatisfied
As a benchmark, the pool uses the average stock exchange listing of Emmeloord. The result of the pool is slightly above that. "The feedback we receive from growers is satisfying," says Brommer. "Of course, the price is considerably lower, compared to €17 after the previous harvest. It is extra sad that the quality was much better. However, pool participants are not dissatisfied with the €8."
Tare percentage lower
Last year the quality caused some headaches for the pool committee and seller. "Last season there was less shifting of consignments. We sold off some consignments that received a lot of precipitation during the season as a precaution," Brommer explains. "The germination test showed that the MH spraying was not sufficiently successful in all lots. Some lots were therefore brought forward and sold earlier. The average tare percentage is 7,06%, compared to 9,7% in the previous harvest. The harvest went great and there were beautiful onions in storage, but that was in vain for price formation."
Drought creates expectations
Brommer currently sees the coming harvest growing well in Flevoland, where all participants are located, but irrigation is already taking place in many places. "A lot has to happen if the drought is to seriously change the market situation. The fact is that we are dealing with a slightly larger area. Where sufficient rainfall has fallen, the onions grow well. More than a week ago we received a lot of places still receive up to 40 millimeters of rainfall. However, the persistent drought creates expectations among growers. You can't say much about the marketing season. Africa is everything, especially in the first half of the season. That's where the opportunities lie, while we benefit from long storage We hope for good quality and better prices again this year."