The latest Medio Grano onion harvest is underway in Castilla-La Mancha. Production volumes are down this year, which is why the late onion harvests scheduled for August are being moved earlier. Demand for large sizes in Europe remains strong, keeping Spanish onion prices high.
The early onion crop was 35-40% smaller than expected due to heavy rain in March and fewer daylight hours and milder temperatures in April and May, which negatively impacted production. Medio Grano onion yields have also been below normal, as in other seasons. As a result, supplies are 5 to 10% lower than in a typical season.
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"At the start of the season, we thought the main European countries would store a lot of onions. We were wrong. In the end, there was a gap between the early and late productions that we have tried to cover with the supply of Medio Grano onions. As a result, some late onion harvests, which were planned for early August, are being advanced because they already have a big enough size," stated Luis Fernando Rubio, director of the Association of Onion Growers in Castile-La Mancha, Procecam.
The area devoted to late onions is slightly larger than last year. However, the unfavourable weather and the presence of thrips are causing uncertainty regarding yields and how much production will reach the market.
"For the moment, prices are high for the time of year. There's a demand for large sizes in Europe, mainly from the Horeca channel, because the dry, hot weather in central Europe reduced sizes and affected the onion's quality," Rubio stated. "Only Spain can supply large onions at the moment," he added.
"However, I expect prices will go down in the coming weeks due to the pressure of the Dutch and German onions," he said. "Dutch exporters are trying to get as much onion as possible onto the market at low prices, because the quality is not suitable for long-term storage."
For more information:
Luis Fernando Rubio
Procecam
Calle San Clemente, 50
02600 Villarrobledo. Albacete. Spain
Email: [email protected]
www.procecam.es
