The onion set harvest is in full swing and the seed onion harvest is not expected to be too late this season. Still, the new season requires a lot of patience from the growers and processors, especially now that sales seem to be starting slowly.
Incidentally, old harvest onions are still being processed this week, but that doesn't amount to much anymore. When obtaining export orders, sorters mainly focus on the new harvest of onions. For growers who still have onions from the old harvest in storage, there is little more than to look for a buyer, where the price is no longer an obstacle to doing business.
By the way, there are still good quality batches of onions on offer (from the old harvest) that can be processed easily. Such onions can still be purchased in countries on the African continent, especially considering the price level. The difference could easily be a third of the onions from the 2017 harvest.
Competition
As far as sales in July are concerned, the onion market is not really getting going yet. The supply of old harvest onions and winter onions is hindering the demand for new onions. But the competition is also not standing still, as evidenced by the competitive prices offered for Spanish onions and English winter onions, for example. The sales prospects in August are significantly more favorable. The first deliveries to Senegal are expected to start in week 32/33 at the earliest.
The current meager sales are putting pressure on onion prices, which have fallen this week to a price range of approximately €21 to €25 per 100 kilos. Due to the end of the old season and because the flow of the onion supply of the new harvest currently leaves much to be desired, growers seem to be more willing to do business. Confidence is not very high, developments in potatoes also play a role and there is a growing need for financial resources.
Stock exchange listing
The fact that onion sales have been poor these weeks is also reflected in the second quotation of onion onions this season in Goes. This was on average €1,75 below the level of 1 week earlier. Comparatively, onion sets are 'traded' quite a bit. However, more often it comes down to negotiating the price, rather than being able to truly trade freely. Under many plots there are previously made agreements in one form or another.