The commercialization of early onions from Emilia Romagna has just started - quality is excellent, grades are very large, even too large for some sales channels, and their health is perfect.
Photos taken on 5th June 2020 in Emilia Romagna
"Prices are not too high after some busy months. During the emergency, we managed to supply everyone despite having to work in very difficult situations, especially in the beginning. Some weeks we packaged double the amounts of potatoes and onions than normal, but we never backed down," explains expert Davide Marmocchi.
The weather has been almost always ideal for early onions. "30% of onions are graded 8-10, and are therefore too large for supermarkets that want 1 kg bags, but they are fine for some other markets. What counts is their health, so they can have a longer shelf-life than in 2019."
Last week, Borsa merci di Bologna registered prices between 18 and 22 eurocents ex works for grades 5-8. Before being packaged, early onions should rest in bins for 7-10 days so as to improve their color and settle.