The relatively large sorting capacity is very much needed in the first half of the season. Now that it is a lot quieter, that capacity works to the disadvantage of the Dutch sector. Sorters are now each other's biggest competitors.
The grower's price for good coarse onions is reasonably stable, although there is not much trade. Cheaper is available, but then they are often onions with a story. Because it is quieter in the export, some sorters take the risk and take a cell with them and accept the extra work. However, it is difficult to process a mediocre batch with, for example, germ or fusarium to top quality in the bag. For such onions, you as a sorter must have the customers. Not all sorters can handle those slightly inferior onions. Customers who are used to receiving good onions will not accept it if, for example, a soft onion slips through in the bag.
Voltage:
The differences in quality cause tension between sorters and exporters. 'They are diving under the price with onions of inferior quality', is a comment that was often made this week. For the total demand for Dutch, it has little effect to lower the bale price. And yet it happens. Better to get an order by offering a lower price than to let a potential customer go to the competitor. In that sense, the sorters are perhaps each other's biggest competitors and the (foreign) customers are the ones laughing.
The bale price is taking a step back this week. The triplets remain stable, but everything above that has fallen by €1. There are some upward spikes, but these are small amounts.
Read here is the explanation from DCA Market Intelligence on the new quotations.