There is certainly demand for large onions. As expected, it's mainly the medium-sized onions that are proving difficult to sell. Price reductions aren't helping to sell more onions; it's more of a struggle to secure those few orders.
England, Spain, Portugal, and Israel are all in the market for large onions. The British are trying to secure these onions at very competitive prices, while other markets offer slightly higher prices.
Export figures show that Great Britain is well-positioned in the market. From January 5th through the first week of February, the British purchased approximately 3.500 tons of Dutch onions per week. This makes them major buyers during a period when sales, following Senegal's withdrawal, are somewhat lower than before New Year's Eve.
In that respect, Spain, Portugal, and Israel are smaller buyers. According to figures available so far, Spain buys around 600 tons weekly, while the quantities for Portugal and Israel are somewhat smaller. These destinations are willing to pay 1 or 2 cents more. Large onions for England fetch around 20 cents per bale, while other destinations pay up to 22 cents per 100 kilos.
The quantity of large onions is limited this season. Primarily small lots are being offered, as growers with attractive large onions hope for a better market later in the season. In a market with less demand than before the New Year, sales of medium-sized onions are more difficult. Some smaller sorters have even halted operations because they want to sell their stock of medium-sized onions first.
Super onions (size 80 mm upwards or also 70 mm+) are even less common than large ones. Demand for these onions is gradually increasing in Europe. Because there's little sorting, this size is even scarcer than it already was. As a result, prices for these onions are rising again. The price for these onions in the bale is now at least 25 cents again, according to several sellers. A few say they're getting 26 to 28 cents per kilo for these onions.
More difficult sales medium
As mentioned, sales of finer onions are proving more difficult. We're still seeing price pressure on them. Everyone realizes that even lower prices won't generate any additional sales for the Netherlands, yet many are trying to secure that one last order with a more competitive price. This way, they hope to stay in business and still be able to sell their stock of fine onions.
The price differences between the various sizes of finer onions are quite large. For triplets, the bale price remains stable at around 16 cents. The 40-60 millimeter size is the same price. Onions from 45 to 65 millimeters fetch slightly more, at around 17 cents, and the 50-70 millimeter size is around 19 cents per kilo. On average, the prices for medium-sized onions are still slightly below last week's level.
Read here the explanation from DCA Market Intelligence on the new quotations.