The Region of Castilla-La Mancha, in Spain, is already heavily involved in the onion harvest. The quality of the produce is expected to be good, although the performance per hectare is 50% lower due to the cold weather registered in early May, which caused a delay in the onions' development cycle. The good news is that, due to this drop in production and to the increase in exports towards China and India, prices will be higher, says Luis Fernando Rubio, manager of Castilla-La Mancha's Association of Onion Producers, PROCECAM.
The maximum price paid directly to growers this campaign stands at 30 cents per kilo, when only 0.07 to 0.09 cents were being paid last year. The dry summer has also stopped the appearance of fungi and other illnesses, which is beneficial for the quality of the onions, although we must remember that the production is expected to be 30 to 40% lower than last year, when the production volumes reached atypical levels.
Source: Radio Azul SER