In England, both large and small companies with diverse activities were visited. On the first day, the largest onion grower in England was on the agenda: Elveden Farms. In total, 600 hectares of onions are grown here. The company has its own water reservoirs, own roads and even own restaurants. The cultivation of onions varies from overwintering onions and spring onions to seed onions (red and yellow). These are mostly varieties of Bejo/De Groot en Slot. Striking is the quick communication that is aimed for here in order to deliver good quality. The onions are loaded in 19-tonne boxes. With onions and all, these boxes go into long storage. The machine park is perfectly suited for this.
The next stop was at a grower with conventional crops and organic varieties such as Jerusalem artichokes, rhubarb and asparagus. Afterwards, the project group visited a grower that stores beautiful Hytech onions at one degree Celsius. Chests were also ready that were picked up the next day and processed at Oldershaws (Moulton Bulb). The seeding density at the quality grower was 2.8 units per hectare. For English standards, this is quite a lot; on average, between 2 and 2.5 units per hectare are sown in order to get beautiful coarse onions. It is striking that the placement of the crops was a bit further apart than in Benelux. With seed onions there were already four pipes and in some cases the fifth pipe was on its way. It was also a cooler spring here, but apparently somewhat milder than in the Netherlands.
Early the next morning the project group left for Oldershaws (Moulton Bulb). This company processes most of England's onions, and since a year-and-a-half, they have an optical processing machine in which between 25 and 40 tonnes per hour are processed. A wonderful company that supplies many supermarkets in England and does this well!
After a number of beautiful plots with plant and seed onions, the project group visited a peel and cut company. Potatoes and onions that are not suitable for consumption or for the fresh market are processed at this company. It is good to see that a residual product can be put to use.
On the way to the airport, a large supermarket was also visited. Onions have an important role in English supermarkets, and customers are encouraged in various ways to purchase onions.
The most striking and important points were:
- The placement of the crop in England is a bit farther than in the Netherlands.
- The quality of the harvested product is ensured by quick communication and no unnecessary side steps.
- Ecological harvesting takes place, after that the temperature remains at 28 degrees and then it cools back down to 1 degree again.
- The machines, ventilators and storage chests are very big.
- Some plant onions suffer from false mildew.
- There is cultivation for own market.
- The price for the rental of land is low.
- The precipitation is lower than in the Netherlands (650 mm per year in the onion region).
- Hybound is the biggest variety in England with Hytech as a close second.
Acquiring and sharing knowledge with each other made this two-day trip a big success.
Source: De Groot & Slot