In the first week of February, the VTA carried out the second onion stock inventory in the Netherlands. This was done among this Dutch growers association's members. It was for the 2019/2020 onion season. This mid-season survey resulted in some conclusions.
The most important is that the reference group had delivered approximately 50% of its onion harvest. This amount is roughly in line with the long term average. Onion yields were also around the same as the long term average. The stock level is, therefore, at nearly an average level too.
Graph 1: Absolute stock versus delivered tonnage
The volume of onions delivered is at about the same level as the long-term average. These are of the amounts delivered by the participants of the stock inventory. Roughly half the onions have been delivered. This is in line with the picture of sales that are going well. Of the red onions, 42% has been delivered. Of the yellow ones, this is 46,2%. Ninety percent of the onion sets have been delivered.
In absolute tons, VTA members' stock is at almost the long-term average level. That means a correction had been made for the previous onion season. In that season, the average was very much lower because of the dry weather. Of the season's onion stock, 22% was sold by 1 February.
That is quite a lot lower than the previous normal seasons. Usually, 25 to 28% of the onions are sold by that date. There is a difference between red and yellow onions. Of the red onion stock, approximately 34% has been sold. With yellow onions, this is 109%.
There is, therefore, a little more total free stock that stock inventories long-term average at this point. Here, these volumes are slightly lower for red onions than yellow ones.
For more information:
VTA
Website: http://www.vtanederland.nl/