Marco Groenewold discussed onion cultivation and trade in Senegal at the Onion Theme Day in Dronten. Born in Portugal but raised in the Netherlands, he established a cultivation company in Senegal in 2011 for Van Oers (now Primeale United). The goal was to grow and pack vegetables year-round for European retail. Initially specializing in pulses, onion cultivation was later added as an intermediate crop. Nevertheless, Marco reassures that Dutch growers need not fear losing a potential export market due to their Senegalese production for the time being.
Marco was adopted at a young age by a family in Klazienaveen. "That's where I caught the farming bug almost immediately," Marco shares. "After my studies, I returned to Portugal to work for a salad company. I loved living and working there for six years until my wife and I were expecting our third child, and she wanted to return to the Netherlands to be closer to family. That led me to a vegetable company supplying European retailers. Eventually, my role became setting up a cultivation company in Senegal to grow and pack vegetables year-round for European retail. Initially, this focused on green beans, but onions were soon added as an intermediate crop."
Onion as an intermediate crop alongside specialization
Why Senegal? "The advantage of Senegal, and the reason we chose it, is its west coast location, offering boat connections to Europe. Green beans used to come primarily from East Africa, but supermarkets made it increasingly difficult to fly in vegetables, so we had to find alternatives. With Senegal's climate, we can transport produce to the Netherlands in eight days by truck or about seven days by boat, a significant logistical advantage over East Africa."
"In terms of growing areas, you mainly head towards the coast," Marco continues. "The inland areas are very hot, and the further you go inland, the more local growers dominate. They irrigate fields using river water, primarily for rice or onions. These growers are satisfied with yields of 25 to 30 tons per hectare, but their quality often leaves much to be desired. Their onions are typically raised with nitrogen, and excessive water is used. Shelf life isn't a priority; the onions are harvested, left by the roadside, and sold to passing traders. These traders pay for the produce, and growers hope they've earned enough. There are thousands of such growers."
On the coast, cultivation is primarily handled by export companies. "These specialize in crops like sweetcorn, watermelons, or bottle squash, but also grow onions for the local market. We have 1,200 hectares here across different farms, mainly for export, but around 300 hectares are used for onion cultivation for the local West African market, including Mali, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Gambia. The potential here is enormous. There's also been interest in sweet white onions from Spain for about two years now, but these are limited volumes."
Like a magnet to a hard driveAlthough the company specializes in green beans, onion cultivation is included. "Why? Not because it's a hugely lucrative crop, but if you only grow green beans, it's not good for the soil. We wanted better crop rotation. Moreover, we faced another challenge: green beans are grown from October to April, leaving the farm idle until October after the rainy season. During these months of inactivity, it was like a magnet wiping a hard drive for the staff. They forgot everything, and we had to start from scratch in October, which was exhausting. So, we introduced onions to keep people working and engaged."
"We started in 2011, but training people with no formal education or knowledge of Western quality standards to meet desired levels took years. This was perhaps the most challenging part."
How does it work? "It starts with negotiating with a village chief. This process can take anywhere from five days to three weeks and revolves around social agreements—what you'll do for the village and how many people you'll employ. Once an agreement is reached, you acquire land for a relatively low price, clear the bush, and ensure access to water. Wells are dug to about 250 meters, with a pumping chamber at 130 meters that can pump 150 to 250 cubic meters per hour."
"You also need to manage power, as there's no electricity capable of operating pumping stations. We use diesel generators and reservoirs to store water as a buffer since diesel supply disruptions can occur due to strikes or issues at production plants. Building buffers is essential to ensure business continuity."
Remote control
Cultivation itself brought its own challenges. "Planting begins in October with fast-growing varieties that take about 90 days. Harvest runs until February, as yields drop significantly after March due to the rainy season. Initially, we grew yellow onions, but West Africans prefer red onions, so we switched. Red onions yield 60 to 70 tons per hectare, compared to 80 to 120 tons for yellow onions."
"Practical issues arise when deciding between importing and sourcing locally. Machinery, for example, used to be second-hand imports from the Netherlands, but poor diesel quality in Senegal quickly renders them unusable. Seed quality was another problem; we now mostly import seed for better yields. The same applies to crop protection products. Regulatory processes are simpler here; we submit a list of commercial names to the Ministry of Agriculture, get approval, and move forward. While we aim to follow European standards, local requirements are far less stringent."
Training and monitoring growers is crucial. "I visit regularly but am not based there permanently, so much of the work is done remotely. We use photos to monitor crops, with daily reports from designated plots. This creates a rhythm and fosters passion among workers," Marco explains. "Harvesting is still done by hand because the onions aren't genetically strong enough for mechanized harvesting, which is more common in the Netherlands."
No threat for Dutch growers/exporters
"The onions are pulled, bagged in 25.5-kilo sacks, and loaded onto trucks. Around 1,200 to 1,400 women handle this work daily, followed by men weighing and loading the produce. It's then sold to traders, who settle on-site. During the import season, these traders work with Dutch exporters, but in Senegal's growing season, they operate locally."
Does the trend of foreign export companies cultivating onions in Senegal pose a threat to Dutch growers and exporters? "Not at all," Marco assures. "Our onions are destined for local markets in Mali, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Gambia—huge markets with growing populations. Outside the Senegalese season, it's almost impossible to provide local onions due to inadequate storage facilities and limited genetic advancements for long shelf life. There's still plenty of demand for Dutch exports, while we continue improving local cultivation."