Onion exports in week 13 exceed 22.000 tonnes.

Week 13 is turning out quite well for the Dutch onion sector. Exports of more than 22.000 tonnes are very welcome to keep exports at a good level. Many exporters assume that with weekly exports of around 20.000 tonnes, the onion stock will be cleared effectively this season.

The mood in the onion market is dampened by a large supply of lower-quality and small onions. Buyers are currently not interested in small onions; they primarily want large onions. Batches of lower quality are also putting pressure on the market, as these onions must be consumed quickly and a long journey is no longer feasible for these products.

The British buy a lot of onions.
Great Britain remains an important buyer of Dutch onions. In week 13, the British purchased nearly 4.400 tonnes. This is the largest volume they have purchased in a single week this season. For nine weeks now, exports to Great Britain have exceeded 3.000 tonnes. As a result, exports to this destination are operating at a high level. Total exports to Great Britain have already risen to 124.000 tonnes. This volume is 37.000 tonnes, or 43%, higher than a year ago.

Sales to Spain are also continuing strongly, with a weekly volume of around 2.100 tonnes. Spain is currently the Netherlands' second-largest customer. Guinea (1.950 tonnes) and Ivory Coast (1.435 tonnes) continue to perform well as major buyers.

Morocco provides additional sales
Morocco temporarily dropped out as a customer at the Dutch onion market last week, but in week 13, this North African country still accounted for the purchase of nearly 1.500 tonnes. Normally, Morocco is not active on the market for imports from the Netherlands, but there is currently a local shortage of onions. It is expected that onions will continue to go to Morocco in the coming weeks. Exports in the preceding weeks have somewhat oversupplied the market in Morocco, exporters explain.