Onion cultivation in Belgium is very similar to that in the Netherlands this season. A large expansion in area, late sowing and a lot of precipitation characterize the season. However, the yields are certainly not disappointing thanks to the typical 'Belgian' summer that is being talked about. Arranging sales now appears to be a bit of a problem in some cases.
The onion harvest in Belgium is nearing its end, but is certainly not finished for this season. The wet spring has also caused a large spread in sowing dates in our southern neighbours, which in turn has led to a harvest that has gradually seeped through from August until now. Although there has been a fair amount of rain now and then, the onion harvest has generally proceeded quite smoothly. The plots sown later are scheduled for the coming weeks as soon as the weather permits.
Globally speaking, you can divide the sowing this season into two moments, says Evert van Crombrugge, account manager at De Groot en Slot in Belgium and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. "The first sowing moment was in the second half of April and then mainly in the south and east of Belgium. The other moment is between 5 and 15 May. Then, especially the growers in the west got the first chance of the season. Of course, plots were also sown outside those dates and the last seed only went into the ground in June." According to Van Crombrugge, the conditions in the field this spring were comparable to those in the Netherlands. It was often touch and go to be able to sow or the soil was just not suitable enough.
Average yield in difficult year
The moment of sowing and the wet conditions this spring say a lot about the yield and size grading in Belgium. "There are big differences per region visible. The sown plots had to process more water and the soil was colder. Water damage, lack of oxygen, sometimes some crust formation and also damage from the bean fly occurred earlier here. The stand on the early plots is therefore thinner in general, which means that the onions here are coarser." The plots sown later have a good stand on average according to Van Crombrugge. "They came up faster and because of the late sowing, they were also sown thicker. As a result, there are often enough plants. However, the regrowth was disappointing in September, certainly in the west where it became drier. On average, the onions do reach the kilos due to the large numbers, but the size grading is very fine for the plots sown later."
The yield does not seem to be bad on average, given the later sowing and difficult start. Ellen Dendauw, Team Leader Vegetables Arable at the Belgian trial centre Viaverda, explains that it is due to the growing weather this season. "We sowed late, but thanks to the growing weather, growers ultimately achieved quite good yields. Especially when you see how much later we started this season. We had regular rainfall after sowing, which kept growth going. The high temperatures were also not too bad." Van Crombrugge also explains this, speaking of a 'typical Belgian summer' with regular rainfall and few extremely high temperatures. "As a result, there were hardly any growth stagnations and the crop continued to grow well." Both emphasise that there were also enough plots where average yields were not achieved for various reasons, including water damage. Some areas also suffered severe hail damage.
Despite the late sowing, it is noticeable that the number of thicknecks is not too bad, which is attributed to the good condition of the late-sown plots. Many plots have been well-ironed, but at the moment a small part is still green. More problems with bacteria are reported on the earlier-sown plots.
Sales difficult
In terms of sales, things are not going smoothly for the growers everywhere. This is going slowly and sometimes sluggishly. The onion cultivation has expanded considerably and there are many new growers in Flanders according to Dendauw. "They have not always been able to arrange sales for their batch or part of it. In this market, that does not help". Part of the onion harvest is destined for the Netherlands. Dendauw expects that with the current onion market, some of the new growers will plant fewer onions next season. The challenging cultivation this year, including the high disease pressure, contributes to this.
Onion cultivation has increased dramatically
Onion cultivation in Belgium has been on the rise for the past ten years. About 25% of onion cultivation takes place in Wallonia. The other 75% is in Flanders. There are no precise figures for Wallonia, but there are for Flanders. According to figures from the Belgian Agency for Agriculture and Sea Fisheries, the area of all types of onions was 2014 hectares in 1.701. In 2019, this was already 3.093 hectares and last season the area increased explosively again to 4.503 hectares. A growth of 21% compared to 2023. Including Wallonia, the Belgian onion area is estimated at around 6.000 hectares this season, according to Van Crombrugge.