Not Zeeland, but another province is showing the largest decrease in onion acreage this year in percentage terms. Almost a fifth less seed onions are grown there. If we look at the number of hectares, Zeeland is the biggest decliner. No province has sowed more onions this year than in 2021. Nevertheless, the total harvest does not have to turn out badly.
Briefly
CBS published last Thursday released the provisional area figures for 2022. It is based on the data from the Combined Statement, which every agricultural entrepreneur must complete annually for the CAP. The statistics service arrives at 36.515 hectares of onions, of which 27.318 hectares are sowing onions. In total, production for this season will decrease by almost 8%.
8% fewer sowing onions, 5% fewer onion sets
Also BoerenBunder uses this data to show per province and even per plot what is grown where and how much. They estimate the area to be slightly larger, but also indicate a minus of 8% for seed onions. Based on these figures, the cultivation of onion onions will shrink by 5% compared to 2021.
The largest decrease in hectares can again be attributed to the province of Zeeland. The area for seed onions amounts to 3.533 hectares, which represents 14% less surface area (586 hectares). Onion onion cultivation amounts to 2.607 hectares. That is 10% less than was the case in 2021. The downward trend has been noticeable since 2018 and continues. For many growers, 2021 was a better year than 2020, but it lacked high market prices. The multi-year average yield remains low and quality is also a concern. Initially, more growers opted for onion sets, but this market is now completely saturated. This became painfully clear again in the summer of 2021.
North Holland shows the largest decline
In percentage terms, cultivation in North Holland is declining even faster. 19% fewer onions were sown there this year. The area is still just above 1.000 hectares. The area of onion sets is growing by 3%. Since 2018, cultivation here has been on the rise. Mainly for industrial processing and not so much for the early export market.
For the first time since 2012, the area of onions in Drenthe is decreasing. With over 1.900 hectares, seed onion cultivation still has the second largest surface area, after last year. With a 15% decrease (327 hectares), the decrease can be called significant. Fortune seekers who started last year may have cut back this season and opted for another crop, such as grains. The area of onion sets has increased by 8%.
Fewer onions in Groningen
The decrease is slightly greater in Groningen at 16%, but in hectares it is smaller than in the province of Drenthe at around 100 hectares. The onion onion area has increased by a quarter, but it amounts to only 110 hectares. In Overijssel, the area of seed onions decreased by 5% to 533 hectares.
Flevoland remains by far the largest onion province in our country with 9.024 hectares of seed onions and 545 hectares of onion onions (+14%). The decrease in seed onions is 4%. That is good for 381 hectares, making this province the third largest decline. After Zeeland, only in North Brabant is the decrease even greater at 424 hectares. Good for 12% fewer sowing onions. The onion onion area also decreased by 4%. In South Holland, number three in terms of total onion cultivation, there are 9% fewer sowing onions and 7% fewer onion onions. This means that cultivation remains relatively stable.
More red onions
The so-called BRP data that CBS and BoerenBunder use does not distinguish between yellow and red seed onions. Jaap Jonker, from onion seed company De Groot & Slot, is convinced that the area of red onions has increased again. "There are only two seed companies that sell red onion varieties. We have sold more red varieties and, from what I hear, this also applies to competitor Hoza. Our seed sales have fallen very slightly, but we have sold significantly more primed seed. 45% compared to 30 % last year. You sow fewer units of this seed, which means that our market share has increased. We are very happy with this in this shrinking market."
"In any case, you see a trend that growers are sowing fewer units," says Jonker. "In recent years, large onions have been more affordable than a finer grade. In the Northern Netherlands, 3,8 units per hectare are usually still used, but in the south, growers are increasingly sowing 3,5 units." Jonker estimates the area that was sown this spring at several hundred hectares. Not that much less than last year, when there was also considerable dropout. "We have not come across plots with a 10 this year and hardly any with a grade of 9 or 8. The emergence was problematic after the heavy rain. Due to crust formation, the number of plants lagged behind. We generally see plots with growers who were able to sow very early. the best results this year."
What does the yield do?
It is still very early to make firm statements about the yield. If we calculate with the five-year average of 47,91 gross tons per hectare, the total seed onion production amounts to 1,749 million tons of onions. That is 178.000 tonnes more than was harvested last year and 408.000 tonnes than the five-year average. Whether the 2021 harvest will be surpassed is highly questionable given the state of many crops. This is far from good, especially in central and northern Netherlands. Growers also note that there is little foliage on the onions. It should happen in the next six to eight weeks. Despite the decline, the total area remains relatively high, meaning that an above-average volume can most likely be achieved.