Spain and Morocco give onion exports a good boost

In the third week of March, Great Britain was once again the largest customer for Dutch onion exporters, with a purchase of 3.450 tonnes. The British have now bought nearly 120.000 tonnes of onions this season, according to preliminary figures from the KCB and GroentenFruit Huis. That is more than 40% higher than in the same period last season.

Just like the British, the Spanish are also in the market for large Dutch onions during this period. In week 12, the volume rose to 2.200 tonnes. This marks the second consecutive week that Spain has purchased more than 2.000 tonnes. As a result, total sales to this country are nearly a quarter higher than last year.

After Great Britain and Spain, Malaysia follows as the main buyer in the third week of March. After a few quieter weeks, this country placed larger orders in mid-March, accounting for just over 1.700 tonnes.

Guinea also remains active on the market. In week 12, sales amounted to nearly 1.600 tonnes. With this, Guinea is buying slightly more onions than Morocco, which stands out this season with a relatively large import from the Netherlands. After nearly 1.700 tonnes in week 11, approximately 1.500 tonnes were exported to Morocco in week 12. In previous years, this country hardly appeared in the export figures.

The last time Morocco sourced onions from the Netherlands was in 2022, when 58 tonnes were imported just before Christmas. This is evident from an overview compiled by the Holland Onion Association based on KCB figures. In 2020 and early 2021, small volumes were purchased on an occasional basis, with the highest weekly volume being 146 tonnes in week 6 of 2021.

Flooding earlier this year has created a gap between the old and new harvests in Morocco. This scarcity is being compensated for by imports, primarily from the Netherlands. Some exporters expect Morocco to remain active on the market for a few more weeks. The low price level also plays a role in this.