The Dutch onion exporters have switched back a gear. At least that is what the most recent export figure shows. Most major buyers have a bit of pluses and minuses compared to last season, but there is one that has really let it down so far.
In week 32, 15.107 tons of Dutch onions crossed the border according to figures from KCB/GroentenFruit Huis. The season total so far amounts to 92.142 tonnes. That is 30.000 tons less than last season. Great Britain is the largest buyer of Dutch onions in week 32 with 3.064 tons, followed at a considerable distance by Germany with 1.473 tons. Ivory Coast and Senegal purchased 1.399 and 1.275 tons of onions respectively, putting them in third and fourth place.
Absent destination
For most countries, the difference between what they have taken so far this season compared to last season is not that big. For example, Senegal is 1.000 tons ahead of Mauritania's 1.500 last year, while Sweden is 1.500 tons behind. However, Ivory Coast has only purchased 8.299 tons this season compared to the 21.813 tons in the same period last season. Payment behavior is mentioned by some sources as a possible explanation for the significant backlog in exports.