Prices on the Belgian onion market are currently very high. "That's because of limited stocks due to a poor growing season. The large sizes needed for peeling are undoubtedly scarce. There are plenty of small onions, but should you need large ones, you pay dearly," says Joeri Ongena of the onion processing company, Ongena.
There are several reasons for this, he adds. "Onions were hit extremely hard during their growing season. The summer heat and the rain that followed did them no good. Many weren't suitable for longer storage, so lots of batches had to be sold before the New Year."
"Also, there's a continued attraction from Poland, which pushes prices up. Plus, there are far fewer onions being produced. Many growers are quitting and switching back to potatoes. It makes it hard for us peelers. The prices now being paid for large onions could be called extreme," Joeri explains.
Still, there is demand. "But then, of course, there has to be supply, not so? We just have to work sparingly at present. There aren't too many importers yet. When they arrive en masse, we'll be able to progress somewhat normally again. We're left with increased energy, raw material, and labor costs (up by ten percent in Belgium since January) though. All that should actually be passed on, but if customers disagree, it stops."
Joeri does not see things improving over the next few months, either. "The scarcity will persist until at least March, when I expect stocks to be almost completely depleted. Then we'll have to rely entirely on imported onions and wait for the new harvest. Hopefully, the growing season will be nice, thus ensuring a better situation in the coming season. However, prices will never return to normal. With everything getting more expensive, those will probably never be cheap again. I just hope they won't ever be as high as they are now," he concludes.
For more information:
Joeri Ongena
Uienschilbedrijf Ongena
62b West Street
9180, Moerbeke-Waas, BE
Email: info@ongena-uien.be
Website: www.ongena-uien.be