The European and global onion market is experiencing varied developments, shaped by weather conditions, production volumes, and trade dynamics. Across key regions, growers and traders are responding to shifting challenges with mixed outcomes. In the United Kingdom, the onion crop has finished, and concerns are growing about the main drilled crop due to a prolonged dry spell. With irrigation unevenly available, high temperatures are halting plant growth and threatening yields.
Spain continues to see high onion prices, driven by strong demand for large sizes and limited supply following a significantly reduced early harvest. Upcoming volumes from the Netherlands and Germany are expected to ease prices in the coming weeks. In Italy, domestic supply remains limited, and early yellow onion harvests produced mostly small to medium calibers. Meanwhile, a processor in Apulia is reporting high yields and steady exports, with harvesting underway across red, white, and yellow onions.
In the Netherlands, the early start to the onion harvest has not fully covered the gap between last season's crop and the new one. While yields have been good, demand is currently moderate as many export markets rely on their own local supply. Switzerland has relied heavily on imports following last season's poor harvest and storage challenges, with stocks depleted earlier than expected. The new harvest is approaching, and early signs suggest an improved crop.
© Viola van den Hoven-Katsman | FreshPlaza.com
Germany is nearing the end of its winter onion campaign, while summer onions face uneven development and significant mildew pressure. Imports from Spain, Turkey, and Senegal are helping to meet demand as domestic availability tightens. The Greek onion season is transitioning from stored to fresh supply, with new harvests beginning across multiple regions. Export volumes remain strong, particularly to neighboring EU markets. Austria's summer onion harvest has been delayed, requiring winter onions to be stored longer despite active exports to Germany. While crop quality is good, prices remain under pressure on the domestic market.
In North America, tight supplies, especially of red and white onions, are keeping prices firm, although relief is expected as Mexico and Texas ramp up production. Despite strong demand, prices are forecast to ease slightly in the near term. South Africa's Western Cape season is winding down, with locally grown brown onions commanding a premium over northern white varieties. In the north, curing difficulties and earlier rain have impacted quality, while Gauteng continues to see strong pricing due to buyer demand and regional trade flows. Egypt has concluded its onion export campaign to the EU, with growers now shifting their focus to storage and alternative markets. The season was marked by strong production and a notable drop in prices.
India's onion export season is rebounding, supported by a 25% increase in production and the removal of export duties. Strong demand from Southeast Asia and the Gulf, combined with lower prices, is reviving trade despite ongoing freight and quality challenges. New Zealand has resumed exports to Indonesia without fumigation, helping to stabilise market access. A favourable season has produced high-quality onions, and demand from Indonesia appears steady as prices in the region recover.
UK: Dry spell threatens onion crop development
The UK onion crop finished at the end of June, and imported onions from Egypt, New Zealand, Tasmania, and South Africa are now on the shelves. This year's planting went very well, starting on time and under perfect conditions. However, concerns are mounting due to a prolonged period of minimal rainfall. Significant areas are now being irrigated to support crop development. Some farms have good resources and reservoirs that enable irrigation, others have extraction rights for river water, but some have no water access at all.
The overwintered crop is looking very good and is currently being harvested. However, the sets, which will be harvested in a couple of weeks, are a cause for concern. The drilled crop, which makes up the majority of the UK's production, still has 5–6 weeks to go, raising serious concerns.
The ongoing lack of water is a major issue. With temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius, the plants shut down, causing crop growth to halt. This will impact bulb size and, in turn, yields. There are also concerns about disease pressure triggered by the extreme heat.
Spain: High onion prices driven by size demand and tight supply
The early onion harvest was 35–40% lower than expected due to heavy rainfall in March and reduced daylight hours and milder temperatures in April and May, which negatively affected production. Currently, the latest Medio Grano (yellow mid-season) onion harvest is underway in Castilla-La Mancha, with yields 5–10% below normal, as in previous seasons. At the start of the season, the sector expected that the main European countries would store large volumes of onions. However, a gap has developed between early and late productions, which has been covered with the supply of Medio Grano onions. As a result, some late onion harvests originally planned for early August are being brought forward, as the onions have already reached a sufficient size.
The area planted with Grano (late yellow) onions is slightly larger than last year. However, adverse weather conditions and the presence of thrips are causing uncertainty about yields and the volume of marketable production.
Currently, prices are high for this time of year. There is strong demand for large sizes across Europe, mainly from the Horeca channel, as the hot, dry weather in central Europe has reduced bulb sizes and impacted onion quality. Spain is currently the only supplier able to meet the demand for large onions. However, prices are expected to fall in the coming weeks due to pressure from Dutch and German onions entering the market at low prices, as their quality is not suitable for long-term storage.
Italy: Limited domestic supply and mixed onion harvest results
In recent weeks, the domestic onion supply in Italy has not been particularly abundant. Consumption has also remained low, although this is typical for the summer season. This is according to a leading onion trader based in northern Italy. The first round of yellow onion harvests concluded with low yields and medium-to-small sizes. Larger calibers were scarce and commanded good prices. For the rest, products requiring reprocessing and with modest sizing sold for around €0.50–0.60 per kilo. Looking ahead, the trader does not anticipate an oversupply in the coming weeks. Weather remains an unpredictable factor, with temperatures exceeding 35°C posing a risk to product preservation. The white onion harvest will be completed in the next few days, but it will take a few more weeks before the yellow onions are ready, depending on weather conditions.
For a leading semi-processed produce company based in the province of Foggia, Apulia, the 2025 onion season began about a month late due to bulb development issues, but is now in full swing. The company reports high yields of up to 75 tons per hectare and well-advanced processing operations. Harvesting started with organic red onions and will continue at least until December. The 40–60 size onions, intended for the fresh market, are harvested by hand, while the 60+ sizes for industrial use are harvested mechanically. The first shipments of red onions have already been dispatched, with white and yellow varieties to follow shortly. The main export destinations are Germany, France, and Greece, which receive both conventional and organic products in customized formats.
Netherlands: Moderate demand meets early onion harvest
Although planting and sowing for the new onion harvest began early, the early start was not enough to fully bridge the gap between the old and new crops. By early to mid-June, the 2024 harvest had been largely processed. From mid-June onwards, growers cautiously started harvesting winter onions. The first winter onions fetched strong prices, partly due to rising prices for the old crop at the end of the season.
Currently, demand is moderate. Many export destinations now have their own local harvests, and the supply of red onions is also increasing. Overall, the yields from both the first winter onions and second-year planted onions have been good. In the coming weeks, it remains to be seen how supply and demand will align. "We're stuck with overpriced onions in our pipeline. The price is dropping by the day, and that makes buyers nervous. Just when you think you've got the price figured out, it's already fallen another few cents," says an exporter.
Switzerland: Poor harvest boosts early demand for imports
By the end of June, Swiss onion shelves were already largely stocked with imported products, sourced from countries including the Netherlands, Denmark, and France. "Last year's harvest was difficult, with low volumes and highly variable storage quality," explains Markus Waber, Deputy Director of the Swiss Vegetable Producers Association (VSGP).
Due to wet storage conditions and high disease pressure—particularly from downy mildew—many onions required extensive drying and sorting, leading to significant additional costs for growers and packers. Despite these efforts, rot still spread in storage facilities. "Because of the low stock levels, borders had to be opened even before the managed phase," says Waber. Although small residual volumes were still available, "it is fair to say that most stocks were depleted early."
The new harvest is now approaching, and initial yield forecasts are consistently positive. "Production for the new season looks more promising than last year," confirms Waber.
Germany: Winter onion season ends, summer crop faces challenges
German household onions were available at wholesale markets for €20 to €25 per 25 kg and were accompanied by Dutch and Egyptian batches from new harvests. The German winter onion campaign is now drawing to a close. Meanwhile, dried onion sets are lying in storage halls awaiting collection. Demand from food retailers and exporters remains quiet. The development of summer onions is very heterogeneous in some areas, and pressure from powdery mildew is particularly high in many regions of Germany.
The last shipments from New Zealand have already been sold, with quality reported as consistently good and stable this year. For large-sized butcher's onions, new Spanish produce is now available. "In the lead-up to the Spanish season, there were shortages in Chile, so we had to turn to goods from Turkey and Senegal, which is rather unusual," a trader noted.
Greece: Fresh onion harvest underway across key regions
Greek onion exports continued actively to Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, and even Austria. Approximately 80–85% of the exports consisted of yellow onions, with the remainder being red onions. EXW prices for both types stabilized at €0.40/kg. Growers have now transitioned from stored to fresh onions. The last sales of old stocks occurred last week, while the first fresh onions are already on the market.
Cultivation acreage remains unchanged, and the average yield is expected to be 40 tons per hectare. Last week, the grower price for fresh onions stood at €0.35/kg, with an anticipated drop to €0.30/kg around this time. Onion volumes will increase with the start of the season in Thiva, as well as production beginning in other regions, including Larissa, Kozani, and Serres.
Austria: Delayed summer harvest puts pressure on onion market
The availability of winter onions for domestic marketing is currently being reduced due to export opportunities to Germany. Winter onion stocks will need to be held longer this year, as the summer onion harvest is expected to start later than it did last year. The crop quality is reported to be very good. Nevertheless, domestic prices remain under pressure. At the beginning of the week, prices for onions, cleaned and sorted in boxes, ranged between €32 and €38 per 100 kg, depending on quality.
North America: Tight supply supports firm onion prices
Onion supply remains tight, particularly for red and white varieties. Mexico has started its season, helping to relieve some pressure, but a more significant improvement is expected once Texas begins—next week for yellow onions and mid-July for reds and whites.
Supply is significantly lower than last year, as countries like Mexico and Canada have been purchasing more than usual over the past three to four months.
In Wisconsin, the marketing season for yellow onions will end one to two months earlier than normal, while the red onion season concluded a few weeks ago. Tight supply in the western U.S. accelerated movement, especially as the red and yellow crops were larger than usual, increasing demand for the popular large and medium sizes.
Yellow onions are still shipping from Wisconsin, while red onions are coming from Washington and Oregon. White onions are being supplied by those two states, as well as Mexico. The East Coast is also producing onions.
Although demand remains strong, the recent pace of rising prices has slowed over the past two weeks and is expected to ease further with the start of the Texas season. Prices will remain above last year's levels but are expected to decrease by €2.75–€4.60 per 22.7 kg (50-pound) bag.
South Africa: Western Cape onion season winds down amid price premium
The Koue Bokkeveld onion season in the Western Cape is drawing to a close. For another month, these onions will overlap on the market with onions from Limpopo Province and Namibia. Long-day brown onions from the Western Cape command a price premium of 10% to 15% over the intermediate- and short-day white onions from Limpopo and Namibia. "Bokkeveld onions are king," declares a Cape market agent. He notes that Cape consumers are willing to pay R5 to R10 (€0.26 to €0.52) more for their locally grown brown onions when given the choice.
"It has been an average onion season, neither good nor bad, just ordinary," says a Western Cape farmer. While they have previously exported to Europe, volumes were very low this year.
In the north, onion farmers have faced challenges curing their onions due to unusually high atmospheric moisture levels. Although more hectares were planted in the north, it remains uncertain how much of that production will reach the market, according to a market agent in Pretoria. There have also been quality issues stemming from heavy rains during the planting period.
At the Cape Town market, a 10 kg bag of large onions is selling for R90 (€4.68), large-medium for R95 (€5.40), and medium onions for R100 (€5.20). "Good prices for this time of year," notes an agent. In Pretoria, the price for brown onions is over R9 (€0.47) per kilogram, compared to an average of R6.50 (€0.34) for large white onions. Generally, onion prices are higher in Gauteng Province due to the high number of buyers and the cross-border trade.
Namibia and Botswana periodically close their borders to South African onions to protect the domestic industry. "When Namibian farmers have onions, we can't export to them, but they can still export to us," the Cape onion farmer adds. "It makes things very difficult. Namibian onions don't pose much competition in our domestic market; the real competition is in Namibia and Angola, where their onions compete directly with South African ones."
Egypt: Season ends with surplus and weak demand
The Egyptian onion export campaign to the European Union ended in mid-July, following the completion of harvests in late June. Exporters are now focusing on storage and targeting other Arab and African markets.
The season was marked by significantly increased volumes, declining prices, and fluctuating demand. It is worth noting that two years ago, towards the end of the previous season, the Egyptian government imposed a ban on onion exports due to unsustainable prices for domestic consumers. In 2023, prices on both the export and local markets reached high levels, encouraging growers and greatly expanding production. The recently concluded season saw an estimated production of five million tonnes, according to industry sources and Egyptian agricultural media. This represents a surplus of more than one million tonnes after accounting for local consumption and regular export volumes.
However, unlike the previous season, there was no global onion shortage. One Egyptian exporter noted, "There is virtually no demand, and we ended up with a lot of onions on our hands." Demand remained steady from some markets, especially the Netherlands. Temporary supply gaps in countries such as Russia, Germany, and Spain briefly boosted Egyptian exports.
Given the typical cyclical pattern of alternating high and low production seasons, a reduction in volume is anticipated for Egypt's next campaign.
India: Export rebound driven by higher yields and duty removal
India's onion export season is making a strong comeback, supported by a 25% increase in production and the removal of the 20% export duty in April this year. "Cultivation in regions like Nashik expanded by nearly 60% after last year's low output impacted both prices and policy decisions." Greater availability has stabilised prices and renewed interest from key international markets.
Demand from Southeast Asian countries—particularly Malaysia, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka—has steadily increased. Malaysia's household and foodservice consumption, Vietnam's role as a re-export hub, and Sri Lanka's continued dependency on imports are all contributing factors. The Gulf region, meanwhile, continues to place consistent orders despite higher freight costs.
Weather-related issues have affected the procurement of premium-quality onions, and high freight charges remain a limiting factor, particularly for Gulf exports. To manage costs, exporters are scaling down operations and focusing on nearby Asian countries with lower shipping expenses, though the longer transit times require careful logistics planning.
Prices this season are lower than last year due to an abundant supply, with wholesale mandi rates averaging €0.21/kg compared to €0.26/kg in July 2024. Festive-season demand and the release of stored stocks are expected to push both domestic and international prices higher in the coming weeks.
New Zealand: Fumigation-free access resumes for Indonesian onion exports
This week, it was announced that New Zealand onions can once again be exported to Indonesia without the need for fumigation.
NZ Onions is collaborating with the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture this year to support local allium farmers by improving pest and disease identification. This partnership aims to strengthen technical knowledge sharing between the two countries to enhance both production practices and biosecurity standards. New Zealand exporters have already shipped onions and remain ready to continue supplying Indonesia and other markets this season. Favourable climatic conditions across New Zealand have resulted in high-quality onions with extended storage potential.
Demand from Indonesia appears steady. While prices were higher earlier in the year, the market now seems to be recovering and stabilising as New Zealand onions arrive.
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