"In onions, it's nice and busy, but the price still isn't rising," says Leon van Meir of Van Meir Onions & Potatoes in Steenbergen. Whether that price increase will come is hard to say, he notes. "If demand stays high, it could happen, but in onions, it often remains hollow and stagnant," he says.
"At the farm level, onions are currently bought for 14 cents per kilo. In the bale, prices average around 20 cents, depending on size grade. The smaller sizes are a bit cheaper, and the larger ones are a bit more expensive. But how the market will develop further, no one knows. There are plenty of onions, and exports are strong. Only very few onions are going to Poland."
"In addition, the quality of the onions is variable. Fusarium appears regularly, although it differs significantly from farmer to farmer and by region. On average, however, the quality is quite good. Last year we had a wet growing season, and then you never get the quality we have now in a dry year."
Van Meir is no longer involved in red onions. "If you make choices in your business, sometimes you have to let things go. We used to supply red onions, but now we have fewer staff and have decided to focus on yellow onions and potatoes. After all, you can't do everything."
Bright spots in the potato market are limited. "If you want to buy potatoes cheaply, you'll have a good year. Dairy farmers won't complain either, but for the growers themselves, the situation doesn't look positive. The year is still long, and possibly the market could turn around toward the end of the season, but in my view, that chance is small."
For more information:
Van Meir Onions & Potatoes
Boonhil 8
4651 VW Steenbergen
Tel: +31 (0)167 54 22 20
[email protected]
www.vanmeir.nl
