Flevo Onions completed their short storage pool at the turn of the year. Due to a delayed landing season, it also took longer for all the storage onions to be processed. The result is not cost-effective, but the pool committee was nevertheless satisfied in the light of the market.
The result of the short storage pool for the 2017 harvest is €7,26 per 100 kilos. The pool costs have already been deducted and the price includes a compensation for Global Gap. The period normally runs from week 38 to week 48. "Due to the difficult off-field season, the last onions in the pool were only collected in week 50," says pool manager Remko Wilms of Waterman Onions in Emmeloord.
Moderately positive
The average stock exchange quotation in those weeks is €6,34 per 100 kilos. "We have made every effort to get the most out of the market. The pool committee responded positively to the result achieved," says Wilms. "Unfortunately, the reward for storage has been minimal. This may be different this season for the long storage pool."
Last season the onion market nodded around Sinterklaas. Then the market went down and the short pool did well with more than €12 per 100 kilos. This year the prices from land and from short-term storage are virtually the same. "This market development is special. The price usually rises upon delivery from storage. This year that did not happen. The difficult field season did not develop into a weather market."
low tare
The short pool mainly has growers in Flevoland, but also some in other cultivation areas. The harvest was difficult, especially for the northern growers. Still, Wilms is satisfied with the quality. “Tare percentages range from 2% to 7% in the pool.” The internal quality is also good. "Some lots came in with only 2% to 3% and that is very good. Company-wide, we are now double the tare of last season."
Flexibility
The pool included a larger volume this year. This is due to the arrival of new growers, existing growers who expanded their acreage and higher hectare yields. Wilms is satisfied with the current size: "Further growth is not a goal. The volume is now easily manageable and therefore flexible. There is enough power to step up during good weeks. This flexibility has proven its added value this year. The pool fits in perfectly with Waterman's internal logistics. We also had to deal with an enormous volume on land. This posed a number of challenges, not least because of transport and the difficult harvest. Fortunately, the pool was able to cope well with this. anticipation and thus shows its added value. This is also the case for growers."
The short storage pool for the 2018 harvest will continue unchanged. Further growth in participants and area is not an ambition for Waterman. In the past, the long storage pool started as soon as the short pool ended. However, after last season it was decided to have both pools start at the same time. The long storage pool runs from week 38 to the end of the season.