60,000 metric tons of onions have been sent to Europe from New Zealand, according to Matthew Spence, executive director of industry for Onions New Zealand, Inc. That figure is slightly higher than last season's total exports to Europe, but still 14% less than 2010's total exports to EU. Spence sees that downward trend as an adjustment to the situation in Europe.
“The reason for the slightly lower volume is simply a reflection of the exceptionally poor market conditions in Europe,” he said. But he also added that a secondary reason has to do with one-off occurrences, like crop yields from other regions which cut into New Zealand's exports.
“There has been a tightening of the marketing window available to New Zealand this season exacerbated by the exceptional yields of Northern Hemisphere crops,” he said. The length of that window, given the many variable factors involved, is not predictable from season to season, but Spence noted that exporters work hard to ensure a stable supply of onions to Europe and the rest of the world.
“The key is to interpret the implications of the shifting marketing window so the New Zealand supply is in harmony with European production,” he said. And this year, he thinks they've achieved that.
“New Zealand exporters and their long-standing customers have shown good judgement,” he said. “Good judgement as to the volume, sizing, timing and quality of their shipments to the market.”
For more information: www.onionsnz.com