Arable farmer will not grow after the onion market in 2021

The total area of ​​sowing onions will grow slightly or remain stable next year. Several onion seed suppliers expect this at the moment. More seed was sold until the beginning of January than in the same period last year. Depending on the supplier, seed orders are up to a quarter ahead of previous years. It should be noted that many growers in the southwest only place their orders later.

Shrinking trend continued
In the traditional cultivation area of ​​Southwest Netherlands, the area is expected to shrink slightly. After 3 dry years, the popularity of the sowing onion in areas where irrigation is not possible has decreased significantly. The shrinking trend of recent years continues. In the IJsselmeerpolders, the area is hardly moving compared to last season. The maximum onion area has been reached in this area.

In the east of the country, the popularity of onions is increasing. The area of ​​onions on sandy soil has grown, from approximately 2.700 hectares in 2017 to almost 5.200 hectares in 2020. The seed companies expect this growth to continue next season. Growth in these regions compensates for shrinkage in the southwest. The demand for robust varieties increases on sandy soil. This has to do with higher weed pressure and the long-term storage of the onions. Choosing a variety with good skin strength and hardness is extra important for these growers.

Sales of onion sets slow down area
Traders are divided about expanding the area of ​​second-year onion sets. The season for onion sets is relatively short. It is important that the late onion onions do not fall at the same time as the early sowing onions. The space for sales is therefore severely limited. Traders of first-year onion sets try not to disrupt this balance. Some growers in the Southwest are trying growing onion sets because of slightly better performance under dry conditions. More onion sets are also being grown for industrial processing. This is the case in North Holland.