After a very fine grading and extremely low yields, the Zeeland onion growers are faced with new problems: regrowth in onions. These so-called bolts or thick necks are mainly found in poorly developed plants.
As far as is known, the phenomenon of regrowth only occurs on a serious scale in the province of Zeeland. The plots there have suffered most from the drought. After a few rain showers, some onions start to sprout again. These so-called bolts vary from 5% to a maximum of 30% in the plot.
Problem in fine onions
"All plots I have seen in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen suffer from thick necks or bolts. The problem varies per crop," says Delphy advisor Johnny Remijn. "The onions that grow again are mainly found in the undersize. You don't see them in the coarser onions of 35 to 40 millimeters. But then again, they are hardly in the crops here."
These problems also occur on the islands of Zeeland; especially on Schouwen-Duiveland, where cultivation started far from optimally. Where there can be a lot of irrigation, such as on Tholen, the situation is better. In all cases, the general estimate is that there will be a reduction in yield of 30% to 40% in the southwest. Seed supplier De Groot & Slot also sees the problem of regrowth in onions. They recommend harvesting as quickly as possible and not storing for long.
Long in the swath
Remijn attributes the problem to the physiological development of the onions. "They are still in their initial development and will now immediately produce a seed stalk. We recommend assessing the rest of the crop. If the other onions have been ironed and the foliage has died off sufficiently, you should dig them up immediately. It is preferable to leave them as well. Lie in the swath for 2 weeks so that the shoots can die. A hedgehog belt on the loader will then hopefully remove the onions."
For growers in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, the question is whether the costs of harvesting, loading and storing should be incurred. "After 2 weeks of looking at sowing onions, I doubt whether there is an average of 10 tons of salable onions (35 millimeters upwards) per plot," Remijn experiences. The rest is undersized and tare. I have come across several plots that have been worked under. In addition, very little maleic hydrazide (MH) has been sprayed, which means that most of the onions have to be removed before Christmas."
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Don't throw away onion sets
In the meantime, not all second-year onion sets have been harvested. Arable farmers have stocked them in the hope of better prices. "That's where it ends at 30 tons per hectare," the advisor knows. "A narrow strip along the coast has had slightly more rain. There the yields are slightly better. It is estimated that about 60% to 70% in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen cannot be irrigated. If that did happen, it was sometimes too late .The potatoes took priority."
Arable farmers in Zeeland who also have plots in Belgium are eligible for compensation through the disaster fund. "In the Netherlands they have to make do with the Broad Weather Insurance. It says: you could have irrigated, so there is no question of compensation. There is enormous legal inequality in this border strip," says Remijn.
Tough trade
The growers hope that high prices can partly compensate for half the harvest. In week 35, the Goes stock exchange recorded a level of €0 to €30 per 15 kilos for the 17% to 100% coarse grading. That's similar to last week, when the new category came into existence called. Emmeloord does not yet have a quotation for the fine sorting. Beurs Goes reports that there are too few transactions for onion onions.
Insiders in the South West describe the onion market as "tough and as dead as a doornail". There is a lack of interest at the moment. If an offer is still negotiated, it will be stuck at €13 to €14 per 100 kilos. Growers are not satisfied with that. For onion sets, which contain more coarse material, this is €18 to €19. However, growers charge an asking price of €25.