"Very calm," is how Gerard Hoekman of Mulder Onions describes the current state of onion exports. "It's all about the small quantities that maintain the weekly export volume of about 16,000-17,000 tons, but we need many countries for that. The bulk of the sales are now focused on Europe, with some going to Africa, and the Far East is completely wrapped up."
"The price level is stable now. Actually, we are now at the level we should have been at all year, then many more onions would have been sold. But if you try to force the market, sooner or later, you'll have to pay the piper, and this year we've been caught out," the exporter observes.
The import season for New Zealand onions, among others, has also started off slowly. "Initially, it was said that the market would be empty by April, but the old harvest has been in the way much longer. This shows that such claims can take on a life of their own," says Gerard. "However, I do expect the sales of imported onions to pick up in the coming weeks."
"And then we're also lucky that the season for Egyptian yellow onions is off to a slow start, otherwise we would have had an even bigger problem with yellow onions. For red onions, the Dutch season is now almost over. Not much is coming from New Zealand yet, so it's mainly Egypt that's setting the pace now."
"Quality-wise, it has been a challenge for some time to find the good batches. Not every storage facility has good onions, but that doesn't mean they're not out there. How the new season will unfold remains to be seen. The onion acreage will not decrease, as most farmers have had a good year. However, the start is challenging with all the weather patterns, with all its consequences, because everything that grows under stress is more susceptible to disease pressure."
For more information:
Gerard Hoekman
Mulder Onions
Hagenroderstraat 32
6464 CP Kerkrade
+31(0)45 5678700
[email protected]
www.mulder-onions.com