Marketing of onion sets is not going too smoothly. "Prices are under considerable pressure. Grower prices are at a maximum of 10 cents, and the bale price is also below 20 cents. We expected that this year wouldn't be the same as last year, which was unique, but we didn't anticipate it would be this challenging," says Jaap D'Hont of Groede-based grading company D'Hont.
"The yields are not even that bad, but exports are not picking up. Some goods are being shipped, but there's no real momentum. The mood just isn't there," continues the grader. "Meanwhile, the supply of seed onions is starting to loosen up a bit, but here in the region, this mainly comes from plots with a large mildew infestation. That doesn't significantly affect the overall supply yet."
"From a European perspective, there are enough seed onions, so it doesn't seem like the market mood will change anytime soon. However, I hope that with lower prices, we can achieve more exports. Last year, too few onions were exported due to high prices, so there ended up being more onions than anyone expected. At this price level, there should be more export opportunities."
"Here in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, there are fewer onions again. Some growers did not sow after the flooding in May. There are big differences in quality. There are beautiful plots, but also many with water damage, mildew, or other problems. It turns out that the loss of effective pesticides against mildew in such wet years is disastrous. On average, crops in Belgium are in better shape. Sowing was also late there, but the foliage is much healthier, and the average harvest is good. People there have therefore invested heavily in onion cultivation."
"I expect the onion set area to shrink again in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. That's a shame because this type of cultivation still works relatively well compared to seed onion cultivation, so it could be a boon for this region. But it has to be profitable, and with relatively expensive planting material and uncertain sales during the holiday period, that is not a given."
For more information:
Jaap D'Hont
Sorting company D'Hont
Noordweg 1
4503 PE Groede
T 0117-371606
[email protected]