Dutch onion exporters have shipped more than 600.000 tons of onions abroad in nineteen weeks. This exceeds the previous record set in 2022 by more than 9%, or approximately 52.000 tons.
The latest overview from the KCB and GroentenFruit Huis includes some corrections that have led to a reduction in the export figures for previous weeks. As a result, one week of 40.000 tons plus is missing, namely week 44. The new figure for that week is just below this threshold at 39.944 tons. The difference is minimal.
Don't worry, because the figure for week 45 is just above this level again. This brings the number of weeks with exports exceeding 40.000 tons to six. We've never seen such a high figure before, making this season unique.
For now, however, exports of this magnitude are still taking a back seat. Exporters and packers have been saying for weeks that they're taking it very easy. And yet, they're exporting significantly more than in the best season ever. The difference compared to last year has already grown to over 107.000 tons. This represents a 22% increase.
Sales to Senegal were remarkably high in week 45. In the first week of November, almost 12.000 tons of Dutch onions were delivered there. This is considerably more than the barely 10.000 tons shipped weekly to this West African country before. It's not surprising that there was some stagnation in that country's logistics afterward.
A little quieter to Ivory Coast
Sales to Ivory Coast were somewhat quieter at the beginning of the month. That country purchased just under 7.000 tons of Dutch onions in the first week of the month. Meanwhile, sales to Great Britain remain strong, with well over 3.000 tons again.
There was a peak in exports to the Dominican Republic at the beginning of this month. According to the latest figures, 2.156 tons were shipped to that country that week. That's a significant amount, especially considering the total sales of 14.400 tons in nineteen weeks.