Queensland's 2025–26 onion season remained broadly on track for Qualipac, a fourth-generation Australian family business growing, packing, and supplying vegetables to both domestic and international markets, despite weather challenges during the production period and heightened demand ahead of Christmas.
Qualipac's Kees Versteeg says the business benefited from relatively predictable demand through its major customer relationships, even though rainfall during the production period created challenges in the field.
© Qualipac
"Parts of South East Queensland experienced significant rainfall during the production period, which can influence bulb development, harvesting, and curing depending on soil conditions and timing," Versteeg says. "Excess moisture can affect bulb formation, complicate harvesting and curing, influence skin quality, and may also increase susceptibility to post-harvest disease."
While the internal quality of onions can remain sound, cosmetic issues caused by wet conditions can be problematic in a retail-focused market.
© Qualipac
"Onions are often judged visually by consumers," he says. "If the skin doesn't look right, even if the product inside is fine, people can be hesitant to buy it."
Queensland's onion season typically runs from October through to January, supplying fresh onions at a time when southern growing regions are increasingly reliant on stored product. Onions grown in southern states such as South Australia and Tasmania are generally storage varieties, harvested for long-term availability and produced to maintain quality during storage. Queensland's fresh, non-stored onions help fill the supply gap when southern storage crops are nearing the end of their optimal shelf life.
© Qualipac
"Queensland fills a gap when other regions are drawing down stored onions, helping maintain national supply later in the season," Versteeg says. "That makes fresh supply from the north particularly important."
Supplying major retailers directly also helps reduce exposure to the short-term volatility often seen in open markets.
"Having supply arrangements agreed in advance with customers provides greater certainty," he says. "Knowing volumes and commercial terms ahead of time allows us to plan production, harvesting, labour, and logistics more effectively when supply is moving quickly."
That stability was tested in December, when strong pre-Christmas retail demand placed additional pressure on the supply chain.
"The period leading into Christmas is always intense," Versteeg says. "When demand spikes, it puts pressure right across harvesting, packing, and logistics. Meeting that demand requires careful coordination, with managing people, fatigue, and logistics as critical as the crop itself."
Despite those pressures, Versteeg says the business was able to meet its commitments without lasting disruption.
© Qualipac
"It wasn't a crisis, but it was challenging. It's one of those periods where everything has to work at once."
On exports, Versteeg says Queensland onions have opportunities but are naturally constrained by their fresh nature.
"Queensland onions have export potential, but their fresh nature makes it more challenging," he says. "Unlike long-term storage varieties from southern states, they need to move quickly to retain quality, which limits shipping options and export timing for international markets."
As a result, the domestic market remains the primary focus for most Queensland production.
"As long as domestic demand delivers sustainable and profitable returns at the farm gate for Queensland onion growers, it makes sense to prioritise supplying it well," Versteeg says.
For more information:
Kees Versteeg
Qualipac
Tel: +61 (0) 488 494 911
[email protected]
www.qualipac.com.au
