The onion harvest in Europe is distinguished this harvest year by a better growing season and higher yields. In fact, based on the available data, it would be the largest onion harvest since 2010.
Estimates have been made about the size of the onion harvest in many European countries. In general, revenues are clearly higher than last year. The drought and prolonged heat that gripped 2018 were less prevalent in many countries.
Poland is an exception
Poland is an exception to the rule, because arable farmers there had to passively watch as drought and heat decimated onion yields for the second year in a row. It is estimated that the onion harvest in Poland is 6,75% lower than last year. In that year, Poland had a yield of 563.000 tons, which was approximately 15% below the multi-year average.
Poland However, this cannot be called indicative for the state of affairs in other Eastern European countries. Although it was also dry and warm there, the onion yield ultimately suffered less and there is talk of a slightly higher yield.
Good season in Spain
Last year it seemed Spain to escape the dance of low onion yields and this year is also a good onion season. The weather turned out to be suitable for onion cultivation, meaning that Spanish arable farmers will once again have high-quality onions this year. The harvest in Spain (at 1.600.000 tons) is expected to be approximately 12% higher than last year and 25% above the average from 2011. This makes the onion harvest in this country the highest in years.
The estimated onion yield for our eastern neighbors is just under 500.000 tons, which is higher than last year (+21%). The entire European onion harvest would amount to approximately 6.470.000 tons. As a result, Europe would have more than 1 million tons more onions than in 2018.