Onion growers who participate in the Speculation Pool of Wiskerke Onions from Kruiningen have capitalized on their choice this year. The price is €3,51 higher than that of the Basic Pool. This is due to the sharp price increase at the end of the season. Chayenne Wiskerke looks back with satisfaction on the quality delivered and the remarkable export season.
The result of the Basic Pool, which ran from week 41 (November 7) to week 6 (February 7), amounts to €14,71 per 100 kilos in week 8. For the Speculation Pool, with a duration from week 7 to the end of the season , that is €18,22 per 100 kilos on week 25. These are the prices excluding VAT and including deduction of costs and a compensation for the Global Gap certificate.
For comparison: the average stock exchange quotation of Beurs Goes during the period of the Basic Pool amounts to €13,71. For the term of the Speculation Pool, this is €16,08. In both cases the pool price is therefore higher, with a difference of 13% for the Speculation Pool.
Yellow onions completely gone
“A special season that was thrown out of balance by corona,” is how Chayenne Wiskerke summarizes it. "We did not think that the end of the season would turn out like this, with a sudden gap arising from the complete production of yellow onions. This does not apply to red onions, whose exports and price formation were very good for a long time. The enormous demand from India was the cause of this."
Disaster rescue for red
No answer can be given to the question of whether the area of red onions has reached its maximum. "In the event of a disaster in the world, such as last year in India, there are sufficient sales opportunities. If we had not had this demand, the price would have been very low before the new year. Now it would remain available for a long time. The Dutch onion sector responds to the sudden demand worldwide. That's what we need. Together we have achieved record production and exports."
The quality also posed challenges, although it was averagely good according to Wiskerke. "In terms of coarseness, we saw all kinds of parties passing by, which matched the demand nicely. In the Basic Pool, the average tare percentage is 7,63%. For the Speculation Pool, it is 8,22%." The pool system will continue unchanged for next season. Both Wiskerke and the participants are satisfied. For the 2015 harvest year, the buyer cut his pool in two, to distinguish between the more stable first phase of the season and the often very volatile second half.
Crops restored
After the weather of recent weeks, which also saw regular rainfall in Zeeland, the crops are now recovering rapidly, Wiskerke says. "We are positive about the growth. You miss the plants that were lost or did not emerge, but those that are there are now recovering well."