Onion seed shortage limits area expansion in 2026

The availability of onion seed is under more pressure this year than in previous years. Seed companies are completely reliant on the new harvest, as the usual stocks were largely sold out last season. Therefore, there is currently a complete freeze on onion seed sales. Before it is clear what is actually available, all new batches must pass extensive quality controls. These tests focus not only on formal germination capacity but also on germination energy, an internal standard by which seed companies rigorously select.

While in previous years a buffer of onion seed from previous harvests was still available, that margin will have almost completely disappeared by 2024. "Normally, we can fall back on a basic stock, but that was almost completely used up last year," says André Boot, senior onion specialist at Hazera. Seed propagation takes place primarily in northern France. The wet growing conditions and the significant losses in both commercial cultivation and bulb production have completely wiped out this reserve.

Because onion seed is a biennial crop, with seed production occurring in the second year, a failed harvest has an extended impact on the availability of new onion seed. Moreover, the 2024 harvest was exceptionally wet, significantly impacting its quality and germination capacity, and consequently failing to meet the quality standards of various seed companies. Consequently, the sector is relying entirely on seed from the new crop this year.

There are also rumors in the market that certain onion varieties are already sold out. Boot confirms this and sees a shortage, especially in early onion varieties. "Growers are feeling this immediately; certain varieties are already sold out this fall. At the same time, we're looking for new production locations outside France to spread the risk, but suitable regions that meet the day length requirements are scarce, and this generally makes production more expensive."

Influence on cultivation area
According to Bart Schriever, Benelux sales manager at De Groot en Slot, the limited availability of onion seeds is directly impacting the cultivation area. Due to the current sales freeze, it's difficult to make precise predictions about the expected acreage for next season. "We aim to deliver the same number of seeds as last year," says Schriever. Therefore, the acreage is expected to remain stable if availability remains the same.

Where availability had been present, the acreage could potentially have grown. Had there been no recent problems with seed production, the acreage could have increased even further. "Right now, growers may want to sow more onions, but that requires sufficient available seed," says Schriever. Any expansion of the acreage now falls directly on the seed suppliers, who may not be able to keep up with that growth.

However, a similar situation prevailed last year regarding the availability of red onion seed in particular. Despite these limitations, the area under red onions increased by a substantial 35%. Regional onion seed dealers in the Netherlands therefore used every means possible, including from abroad, to obtain additional seed to achieve the desired area expansion.

If the quality checks are negative and it turns out that less high-quality onion seed is available from seed companies, the acreage could even shrink, according to Bart Schriever. This brings the Dutch onion growing sector back to the situation of last year, when many foreign onion varieties were sown. Despite the restrictions, this still resulted in a nationwide increase in onion acreage.

At that time, seed companies were already warning against the use of these foreign varieties. Bart Schriever explained this spring that onion varieties are designed for a specific day length. In the Netherlands, according to the seed supplier, it's crucial to grow varieties suitable for the "very long day" segment. Varieties offered from abroad have sometimes never been grown in the Netherlands and were originally intended for other day lengths. Using these varieties can cause problems, such as premature bulb formation and bolting, which can negatively impact yield and quality.