The new Dutch season's market situation is off to quite an unusual start. A significantly lower harvest due to higher temperatures means the Senegalese market for onion sets from the Netherlands opened much earlier than in other years. But, says Lindert Moerdijk of MSP Onions, the question is whether customers will pay the current prices.
"The receiving countries aren't set up for such high value, large volume commodities. It's going to be a battle between the want and can markets. The Netherlands has about 20% fewer onion sets, and Mother Nature's delayed that supply by about two to three weeks. That results in very high prices," Lindert begins.
"Last year's prices were already sky-high, but for clients in Senegal, these starting prices are now even higher than what they ended on then. Last year, most onions heading to Senegal left at bale prices of €0.30 to €0.35. Now, growers are already getting €0.40. So relatively few onions are leaving, and the sales destination spread is limited. I'm very curious to see where this will lead because these prices won't keep pace in the high season."
MSP has not been idle between the old and new seasons. It installed a robot to clean the onion tailing machine automatically. "We asked Wilbert Poppe of Innovating Constructions Machines (ICM) to find a solution for us. Innovation, efficiency, and sustainability guide MSP's decisions," says Lindert.
"This project reflects those core values. We were very critical; such a set up in the heart of your process is quite radical, but Wilbert found a solution that excited us. The robot was installed last month in collaboration with KV Techniek's team, and we're already seeing the benefits."
"The tailing machine's sieve was usually cleaned using a thin steel poker. That was to try and get rid of the dirt which damaged the onions and made them look less tidy. The machine was also continuously overloaded because the dirt was shaken along with the sieves. The amount of dirt is only now becoming apparent as the machine's being washed. Also, the robot is a huge help to staff; stripping off the trimmer was genuinely awful work," Lindert adds.
"The robot and, thus, cleaner sieves have led to improved cup filling and a higher filling capacity. Improved tailing, in turn, makes for a neater product presentation to buyers."
"There's also much less trimming damage now that the onions no longer have to vibrate over hard-caked dirt," says Moerdijk.
"Plus, the onions now move over a clean machine. It was simply impossible to get it truly clean by hand."
"An investment with which we're generally delighted. The changing climate with long wet and dry periods demands a continuous focus on quality. Along with some new Dividers from Flikweert Vision we placed in front of the trimmer, these investments ensure a higher quality, more durable, and more beautiful end product," Lindert concludes.
For more information:
Lindert Moerdijk
MSP Onions
32a Hertenweg
4455 TL, Nieuwdorp, NL
Email: lindert.moerdijk@msp-onions.com
Website: www.msp-onions.com
Wilbert Poppe
ICM
27 Grenadierweg
4338 PG, Middelburg, NL
Tel.: +31 (0) 615 596 989
Email: wpoppe@icm-solution.nl
Website: www.icm-solution.nl