"Onion price surge at farm level not yet reflected in export markets"

The onion price is currently rising faster at the farm level than it can be achieved in exports. "Suddenly, everyone started paying 20 cents to the grower, but now people are realising that this cannot be earned back in exports. Bale prices currently range from triplets to coarse onions at between 23 and 26 cents. Higher prices are difficult to realise in Africa anyway," said Jan Franje of Franje Onions.

"Even so, many onions are still leaving, and everyone hopes that these record exports will continue. But there are still uncertainties. Will Senegal close again on 31 December? Or will we still be able to load for Ramadan, which starts on 17 February? No one really knows. For now, at least, we have enough onions," says Jan. "Red onions are also plentiful this year, so their price is much lower than last year, to the frustration of growers."

"In addition, quality issues continue to hang over the market. We have good onions at the moment, but there are problems this season," says Jan, who previously voiced concerns about fusarium in the PZC. "This fungus thrives on tear-off onions."

Franje had already stopped trading organic onions. "We still sort them, but we see the quality of organic onions declining. Organic onions used to be protected by conventional cultivation, but now that conventional growers are allowed to use fewer and fewer inputs, organic cultivation is only getting harder. Yesterday we had a batch that was so poor that I am considering stopping the grading of organic onions altogether."