The first half of the season saw a significant volume of Dutch onions reaching global buyers. Whether this trend will continue into the second half remains uncertain. "In recent years, the bulk of the stock needed to be sold before Christmas, and that remains essential. I doubt we'll see those export weeks of 30,000 to 40,000 tons or more in the coming period," says sales manager René Vanwersch of Kerkrade-based Mulder Onions.
"Whether another shipment will head to Senegal is mostly speculation. Meanwhile, Gambia is set to go into lockdown from 20 January, Mali often follows suit, and Côte d'Ivoire will gradually wind down as Niger prepares for its local harvest. Looking at recent export figures, these countries have been the main drivers of demand in recent weeks. At the moment, I don't see many other countries stepping in to fill that gap. Brazil had a massive crop and low prices. Spain also produced a large harvest, and Germany still has plenty of its own onions. I expect January to be a very quiet month for exports, though new markets can always emerge. For now, things are slow, especially with more than half of the packers having shut down after Christmas. Activity should pick up again next week," René continues.
"Bale prices are currently around 23-25 cents for medium-sized onions. Smaller onions are priced slightly lower, while supers fetch a bit more. These are decent prices, but maintaining them will be a challenge. I also believe slightly lower prices could open up more markets. In recent years, the onion trade sometimes felt like it was reaching for the sky, with imports from Egypt, Morocco, and China. But now those countries are exerting significant competitive pressure. Dutch onions remain highly valued, and we excel in logistics, which keeps us competitive. However, as soon as we become more expensive than other producing countries, competition intensifies."
Vanwersch has no complaints about the quality. "For now, the quality has held up well, with few issues reported. But you never know how the onions will fare later in the season. That's always a bit of a guessing game."
For more information:
René Vanwersch
Mulder Onions BV
Hagenroderstraat 32
6464 CP Kerkrade
Tel: +31 45 5678709
[email protected]
www.mulder-onions.com