Where in one region up to 90% of the onions have been sown, another area has yet to be started. The differences between the Dutch arable areas are particularly large this spring. Fields sown early are also not without problems. The clock is ticking, although the deadline is being stretched.
It is extremely difficult to give a national average in a spring full of extremes. Sales manager Bart Schriever of De Groot en Slot also knows this. "We estimate that about 50% of the rural area has been sown. Quite a bit has been sown in the northeast (Groningen and Drenthe) and this also applies to the southwest. Central Netherlands, and in particular Flevoland, will continue to grow this spring. quite behind."
Attenuation
Schriever estimates that 60% to 70% has been sown in the two northern provinces. Things are also moving in that direction in the southwest. In Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, sowing has been carried out gradually since February, but here too the work has not yet been completed, according to Delphy advisor Johnny Remijn. "I think 70% have now been sown and 90% of the onion sets planted. We had 30 millimeters in the coastal region at the end of last week. That caused ponding and waterlogging, which can cause problems with emergence. There is less rain further inland fallen; about 10 millimeters."
Bram de Visser, sales manager in the southwest at CZAV, sees a mixed picture in his work area. "On the light soil, such as on Flakkee, perhaps 90% of the onions have been sown, while on the heavy soil in Zeeland this is only a maximum of 60%. We had three to four workable days there last week."
10% area per day
In the east and southeast of the Netherlands, on the sandy soil in Brabant and Limburg, arable farmers and contractors have had more opportunities to sow. "Sowing took place there on a number of days in April," says Kees Jacobs of Syngenta. "It was also not too bad there with the rain, which meant that sowing could still be done last weekend. What helps is a significant increase in capacity at companies so that a lot can be sown in a short time. I estimate that we have about 10% of the area in the Netherlands. can sow per day. With 50% in the ground, this means that we still need five workable days."
Whether those five days will come is not the only factor in onion cultivation. The calendar is also important. 'Sowing in May is leek'. Every advisor, onion specialist and grower knows that statement. Yet the date line of May 1 is being stretched, Schriever also sees. "You can also sow onions in the first week to ten days of May, we have seen that before." Jacobs also uses that advice. "We normally say no more sowing onions after May 5, but this year we are stretching that limit a little further. A lot depends on the weather you get after sowing."
Sowing limit stretched
The idea is that if sowing can be done in the moisture at the beginning of May, the seed germinates immediately and starts to grow, a crop can catch up a lot. Especially compared to a crop sown at the end of April that struggles with cold and crust formation, not all is lost. Jacobs: "From experience we can say that the lack of growing days costs foliage development. In recent years we have seen that the crops do not have enough foliage for optimal production. It is clear that this year has a moderate development. In the first week of July is the first induction moment when the plant switches from foliage production to bulb formation. That's what you have to deal with."
Advisors recommend sowing the onions more thickly, which automatically advances the ripening time slightly. The rule of thumb is to use two-tenths more seed than usual. Switching varieties is not an option, as seed is no longer available. "If the circumstances are not good, look at alternatives," Remijn recommends. "We also advise customers not to sow headlands, for example, especially on heavier soil." The question is whether all onions will ultimately be sown in the Netherlands. Plots that were not competent last week will not become so in the next ten days. Some arable farmers are considering sowing a protein crop such as peas or opting for fallow. This makes them eligible for 'gold' status in the CAP.
Particularly in the south-west of the Netherlands, sowing took place at the end of February and the beginning of March, and mainly onions were planted. Here too the situation is heterogeneous. "The onions are doing well on the very heavy clay soil. On the light soil, waterlogging is a problem." De Groot en Slot is aware that some plots in Zeeland have now been over-sown. Crust formation is also a problem after driving rains. The second-year onion sets are in good condition on average, although these crops are now showing signs of damage due to the rain and cold.
Final area
At the beginning of this growing season, seed suppliers assumed a area around 28.000 hectares of sowing onions. That is 3% to 4% growth compared to last year. Of this, it is estimated that 14.000 to 17.000 hectares are now in the ground. Sowing can be done again in the middle of next week, when the majority of the remaining hectares will be in the ground. If – in an extreme case – 10% remains in the pack, then you are talking about 2.800 hectares. This means a final area of 25.200 hectares. This is comparable to the area of 2018. How many kilos are ultimately harvested depends on the weather conditions in the second half of May and June. It is certain that the 2023/24 onion season has already started memorably, while the exceptional 2022/23 season has not even ended. The sector is moving from one extreme to the other.