"A tedious situation" is how René Tiggelman characterizes the onion market. Rene is a sales manager at Handelsmaatschappij van Langevelde in the Netherlands. "Last week was dead quiet. And there's a lot of pressure on prices."
"Exports to some African countries are going well. But I find them disappointing toward, for example, Senegal. There's some demand from faraway destinations like Malaysia. But the stricter Covid measures mean it's not as much as last year either," René says. "Within Europe, there are very minimal quantities leaving too."
"We have no complaints about quality. Prices, however, have to find their way up. Yellow onions are currently selling for about €0.155. The demand for red onions is also declining now. And there are quite a few of those available. Medium-sized ones are going for between €0.21 and €0.22. The large sizes for around €0.35."
When asked if he thinks the season will improve, René answers, "If only I knew; I'd be rich. But the present situation is one of plenty of market price competition. Especially the smaller packers aren't busy enough," he concludes.
For more information:
René Tiggelman
Van Langevelde Handelsmaatschappij
4d Stationsweg
4416 PJ, Kruiningen, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 113 382 600
Email: rene@javala.nl
Website: www.javala.nl