The majority of the 2nd year onion sets are in the ground, but what the total acreage will end up with is still uncertain. It is clear, however, that less planting material was sold than last season. In addition, some growers are making a false start in the southern provinces due to the drought.
Several insiders report that sales of onion sets are lower than last season. For example, De Groot en Slot reports that clearly less planting material was sold than last season. There was simply less planting material available than in previous years due to disappointing production. This also made the price a lot higher.
Last season, the area of second-year onion sets fell from 6.487 to 6.223 hectares, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands. The area will also shrink slightly this year, according to several Insiders. It is currently difficult to say how many hectares, because not everything has been planted.
Still more planting material available
At the beginning of the planting season it became clear that more second-year onion sets eventually became available than previously expected. Normally, part of the planting material goes to Eastern Europe. Due to the tensions in Ukraine and Russia, some exports are disappearing. The planting material therefore became cheaper during planting, but the question is whether growers have an appetite for the extra material that is released. In any case, there was no storm. The drought of recent weeks does not make planting particularly attractive in some areas and growers have not forgotten last year's low price level. The construction plan for this year had already been completed and there are growers who are reluctant due to the record yield of seed onions last season. These remain on the market until June, which again hinders the early onion sets.
Reels are working overtime
As it seems now, the planting season is limping towards the end, but to get off to a good start and not hinder growth, precipitation is desperately needed in several areas. Some of the onion sets have been dry for a long time. To avoid losing anything, irrigation systems worked overtime last week where possible.