Grower pays little attention to the end of the onion season

There has been limited trade in second-year onion sets. The volume was too little to arrive at a quotation on that basis. In addition, many onion onions are already tied up due to a multitude of types of cultivation and purchase contracts, which means that the percentage of free product is less than with, for example, seed onions.

Problems greatest in the Southwest
With the rain that fell this week, the drought problems seem to have come to an end in many places for the time being. This means that there are also areas where rain is very welcome. In areas where significant rainfall has fallen, crops are doing well. In the southwestern cultivation area, where there are traditionally many onion sets, the problems caused by a rainfall shortage are greatest.

Large margin in revenue
The trade in onion sets varies between €14 and €18, depending on size and harvesting date. Due to the varying position of the onion onion plots (whether or not it can be irrigated, whether or not it has received rain), the yield indication has a wide margin of 25 to 50 tons. Due to the stock of old harvest and the hope of an increase in yield, growers are not yet eager to do business.

Keeping staff employed
The onion processors are running at a slow pace this week. A lot of effort is made to fill the working week so that the permanent staff can continue to work. While extra work sometimes arose last year because fellow processors stopped earlier, little seems to be noticeable now.

Second half of the season mediocre
In addition to a good first half, the 2016-2017 season was only mediocre in the second half of the season. This except for a few weeks in Brazil. The low prices, in combination with average good quality, should not lead to increased sales. This is partly due to the fact that there was and is more domestic harvest available in Europe, which meant that there was no additional demand for onions.

Poland difficult market
Getting rid of the last onions won't be easy. Wear and tear occurs in most batches, making it no longer suitable for Dutch processors. Depending on the severity of the defects, sales to Poland can sometimes still take place, although sales are not easy at the moment. Possibly due to sufficient own harvest stocks. If the defects are too large, sales will have to be sought for fermentation, animal feed or, in extreme cases, in a heap behind the shed.

Onion areas
CBS will have the first figures on Friday, June 30 released on the areas of arable crops. Based on the combined statement CBS provided the first estimates at the end of June of the crops grown and their areas.

For seed, plant, seed and silverskin onions the picture looks as follows:

Since 2000, there has only been an upward trend in the total onion areas: from 19.980 to 34.930 hectares. For silverskin onions, there was a decline of 280 hectares (-40%) over the period mentioned, for seed and onion onions there was an increase of 2.530 hectares (+48%) and for seed onions the development also showed a plus. but then of 12.700 hectares (+91%).

More area figures, price developments or other historical data? Then visit the database.