"Jaap Wiskerke: "Onion world will drastically change in the coming years"."
Wiskerke Onions purchase optical onion sorting machine
"However, it is becoming a phenomenon, that, as long as every onion sorter in the Netherlands has product available, the price will not increase, but will rather be under pressure. That is the result of the large sorting capacity we have in the Netherlands. In January we had an export week of 31 million kg., but the price did not increase. Only with a small demand the price could revive considerably."
Optical sorting machine
"This trend will only continue because within five years all professional sorting companies will have an optical sorting machine," Jaap continues. "We bought one ourselves and we will use it from October/November. That will cause quite a revolution then, because such a machine works 24 hours per day. We bought a machine with a capacity of 15 tons per hour, which we put in mirror image of our line for small packings and red onions. From the moment the machine does not work well I can put people at the line and continue working."
The export is mainly directed towards Europe. "But from a country like Brazil we still receive requests weekly. This week five containers will go there again," Jaap says. "The quality of the onions is very different, but actually for the first time one sees two different markets develop and that a good quality also pays better. That will later on (with an optical machine) only increase."
"We have ourselves (from 1 January) sorted 21% more onions than the previous year. If we follow this trend we would sort between 140 and 145 million kg of onions this year. Now of course we have to wait for what will grow later. We are at least two weeks behind with the new harvest, but because the product is considerably
behind - on many areas the seed onions are rather mediocre - then the yield will be small. This is of so much influence that it is almost impossible to continue this increase."
Future onion sector
The trader expects the export will quietly simmer on. About the future of the onion sector he is positive. "During various meetings about the promotion there are often discussions about the future growth possibilities. Together with Erik Waterman I was of the opinion that 1 billion kg export per season could be reached. The export sector did not agree with us. This season more than 1 billion kg was exported. I started this game 34 years ago and then the Netherlands exported between 300 and 350 million kg and this year we will be above the million tons. There are fluctuations, but the trend is headed upwards. No single country in the world has a lower cost price from cultivation to harbour."
For more information:
Jaap Wiskerke
Wiskerke Onions
8, Stationsweg
4416 PJ Kruiningen
Tel.: (0113) 38 22 10
Fax: (0113) 38 12 23
www.wiskerke-onions.nl
