On Monday night, the Dutch company Daily Onions, too, fell victim to the actions of the French strikers. "They stole a pallet of red onions. If only they'd taken the cheaper yellow ones. Fortunately, they're only onions, not jewels, but it does show we're living in turbulent (onion) times", says Adriaan van Belzen.
"Even in the onion world, a new world order, where China and Egypt are increasingly gaining footholds, is emerging. European farmers are being cornered under the guise of regulations. That drives food prices up. Despite increased costs, speculation has become a lucrative way to keep prices high."
"I think we've forgotten that we need to export most of the harvest. Meanwhile, we watch for new developments that could impact the onion market weekly," the onion exporter continues. "Export bans and transport obstacles abound, but the climate has become the biggest factor. Perhaps that's why it remains a wonderful sector; it's anything but boring."
"How this season will end remains unknown. It will likely be a sluggish yellow market because, with these prices, we cannot compete with the surrounding countries. We're also quite behind in exports compared to last season, but no one talks about that anymore. As for red onions, we should manage to import enough from Egypt soon; their acreage has increased significantly," Adriaan concludes.
For more information:
Adriaan van Belzen
Daily Onions
2 Reinald Street
6301 EC, Valkenburg, NL
Tel.: +31 (0) 118 764 056
[email protected]
www.dailyonions.com