In the first half of the season, Dutch onion exporters have to rely on demand from Africa. Until now, it has mainly been Senegal that has led the way in this regard. But now the second major customer on the continent also seems to be joining in.
In week 35, 24.044 tons of onions were exported according to figures from KCB/GroentenFruit Huis. That is 1.000 tons less than in week 34. A total of 167.390 tons were exported this season. Compared to last season, exports are now 22% behind. Last season was an exceptional season in which the pace was set early in the season.
Senegal is once again the largest buyer of Dutch onions, good for 4.911 tons. That is considerably less than the past two weeks. Ivory Coast is in second place with 4.522 tons. Ivory Coast has been a bit let down so far, but now seems to be recovering somewhat. The country still has a lot of catching up to do. Until week 35, almost 18.000 tons went to Ivory Coast, compared to 35.000 last season. Great Britain is the stable factor in onion exports, with an export of 2.784 tons. In total, onions went to 74 different countries.