The New Zealand onion season has been in production for a few weeks now. According to Gerard Hoekman of Mulder Onions this trade will really get going next week when most German supermarkets switch to imported onion. "This is considerably earlier than in previous years."
Gerard in the middle of the Mulder Onions Team
The volumes from New Zealand are slightly higher (+5,000 tonnes at the moment) compared to two years ago, according to Gerard, which was a 'normal' onion year. Last year the export was a lot lower due to the small New Zealand harvest and the large supply in Europe. This year Europe is almost empty, which makes the switch to New Zealand onions a lot easier.
The prices for New Zealand onions are at round 1 Euro per kilo. "I've only experienced this once before," says the importer. Yet the high prices are no hindrance to sales. "Everyone has gotten used to it. There have been warnings that onions are going to be more expensive for a long time. The prices of Dutch onions are also increasing. And if people have to pay more money for less onions, they're quicker to make the switch."
The number of alternatives on the market is limited. "There are some South African onions coming on. You can see that the market is good, based on this, as it has been fifteen years since this last happened. There are also some Chilean onions, but this share has little effect on the market. Over the coming months the New Zealand and Tasmanian onions will mainly dominate the market. This will be a long season that could even continue until the end of July in Germany, " concludes Gerard.
For more information:
Mulder Onions BV
Hagenroderstraat 32
6464 CP Kerkrade
Tel: 045-5678700
Fax: 045-5678708
gerard@mulder-onions.com
www.mulder-onions.com