The current Dutch onion trade situation is complicated, says Tjerk Nagel of Konaxx Onions. "We, of course, had an excellent preseason. The sky was the limit. Anyone who didn't want to pay €0.25 for onions delivered in the spring didn't understand the trade. That's what growers reckoned. But now, many sorters and exporters are left holding the bag. In other words, with overpriced onions."
"Everyone's also remarkably upfront about this. We now have a situation where Egypt is profiting from Dutch growers' gambling instincts. Central and Southern Europe wanted us to supply them with onions too. But we had to deal with exchange levels of €0.22, €0.23. That meant we were too expensive. So logically, Egypt took advantage of that. Clients bought a lot of Egyptian onions. And they won't be returning for a while. That also applies to African destinations."
"When it comes to stocks, I've always had the feeling that there's more than reported. That's not a problem, as long as there's a good mood on the market. But export figures are dismal now. The onions' quality varies from terrible to good. But, let's be honest, when the market's up, the quality is judged differently than when it's slow. I don't want to end on a pessimistic note, though. These are onions - it could go any way; we've seen that before. We need to forge bravely ahead," Tjerk concludes.
For more information:
Tjerk Nagel
Konaxx Onions
32 Kadal
9079 KW, Sint Jacobiparochie, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 518 491 255
Email: info@konaxx.nl
Website: www.konaxx.nl