The Dutch onion market has begun with high prices. "They're between €0.55 to €0.57. Last year, that was €0.20 lower; that's a big difference," says Gerard Hoekman of Mulder Onions. "The advantage of a year where you finish high is that you can start high. Rounded out, we ended the last Dutch onion season around the euro mark and imported onions at about €1.35. That means we could begin at roughly €0.80. If we'd ended at, say, €0.60, we wouldn't be at €0.57 now."
"We have nice work. Africa is currently the main buyer. There are some exports to Central America and cautious demand from the Far East. So the demand is there and is also fairly broad, but we shouldn't get euphoric. The current high prices deter buyers' willingness to get stuck in," Gerard explains.
"At these prices, I don't think we'll export 40,000 tons a week, so the market will eventually drop. That usually doesn't work in our favor because people will wait and see. Red onions are scarce at present. Considerably fewer of them were sown. Their prices are still approximately €0.80, though they're in minimal supply."
"The weather played a vital role in the current price formation. Farmers had to harvest between showers, so there wasn't too much market pressure," says Hoekman. "How high the yields are will have to be seen. You see, depending on your position, market views go both ways. I don't expect a repeat of 2018."
"A bit more was sown in the Netherlands, but availability abroad is far more important for us. After all, 90% of our volume depends on that. Then a little more or less onions in the Netherlands doesn't mean much. Still, I'm optimistic and see good opportunities worldwide," Gerard concludes.
For more information:
Gerard Hoekman
Mulder Onions
32 Hagenroder Street
6464 CP, Kerkrade, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 455 678 700
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.mulder-onions.com