The supply of onions in Europe is short at the moment, particularly on the big sizes. According to Colin Galbraith from Moorhouse and Mohan, last year's bad growing conditions have led to small sizes and reduced quality of stored product."The onions were planted late and it was cold at the time they germinated, some growers left them in ground too long trying to get bigger sizes which has led to quality issues," explains Colin.
He said that people who are packing for the supermarkets should have enough supply to see them through but on the open market there is little excess. "There are very few big onions on the market, if you find some they are demanding a good price. Mild onions are also scarce and I expect supply to be 5-6 weeks shorter than normal."
The Southern Hemisphere also had weather issues and onions from South Africa and Tasmania have caused New Zealand to quote the highest prices for years.
Chile as well are on the market as the supply from Spain just isn't there, last year Chilean onions were nowhere to be seen.
This year has seen less demand from Russia, who have getting their onions from areas such as the Ukraine but due to the political tensions this may change.