Prices for larger onions are benefiting slightly from lower sales. The calmer market, on the other hand, has somewhat depressed prices for medium-sized onions. There's a clear reason for the difference in price trends.
Overcrowded markets in West Africa are the reason why sales have been somewhat sluggish in recent weeks. Quite a few onions are still being shipped, but not at the rates we've seen for weeks. It's also an unprecedented situation for the Netherlands, where over 40.000 tons of onions have been crossing the border every week for such a long period.
It was practically endless. Even the most knowledgeable onion experts began to believe that onion sales this season would be unlimited. Yet, at the end of November, major buyers hit the brakes. They couldn't accommodate the abundant flow of onions from the Netherlands quickly enough. As a result, onions remained on the quays in Dakar. Eventually, something had to happen.
In week 46, the Netherlands shipped a whopping 18.000 tons of onions to Senegal. A week later, another 14.000 tons were shipped. It can be crazy, and it proved so. One of the exporters says that enough onions have been loaded for Senegal to last until the end of February. Meanwhile, several more boatloads are departing this week and next week, which must arrive before the border closes on January 1st.
Opinions are divided on the fact that the Senegalese border will be closed to Dutch onions on January 1st. Some stakeholders say the border will remain closed from that date onward. Others argue that an early Ramadan is a reason to allow some Dutch onions into Senegal in January.
Potatoes to Senegal
One exporter reports that certain companies have already been granted import licenses for the first month of 2026. Others add that some onions are still shipped to Senegal in January every year. The fact that a considerable number of potatoes are being shipped next week could contribute to this. This means that fewer onions are in transit than planned. This could be just enough to persuade the authorities in Dakar to allow some imports in January.
Although Christmas shopping is underway, things have been somewhat quieter at Dutch sorting facilities in recent weeks. Because fewer onions in the 50 to 70 millimeter range were needed, the quantity of larger sizes has also been reduced. Demand for these onions has remained stable, however. As a result, sorters were able to charge a slightly higher price for these onions last week. This explains why the average size was under some pressure, while the larger sizes saw a slight increase.
Read here. the explanation from DCA Market Intelligence on the new quotations.