When asked for his initial impression of the Dutch onion crop, commissioning agent Richard Bolle assumes the tonnage will be higher than last year. "The quality should be better, too. Last year, there were many thick necks; now, we have more problems with mildew. It also remains to be seen if the MH spray was absorbed properly. That could lead to a market turnaround," he says.
"The mildew has, however, caused the growth spurt to lag. It was initially thought that as much as 60 to 70 tons were harvested on most plots, but that has been reduced to 50,60 tons. There will certainly be enough onions this year. More tons and better quality. But it's still early in the season, and things have only just begun. I do see more bacteria in the onions because of the rain in July. That sometimes looks like a fusarium tip but turns out to be just bacteria rot; still concerning."
Nonetheless, according to Richard, onion growers are tenacious. "They have fat wallets after the high prices in recent years and are used to much higher prices. Below €0.15, you earn very little. I believe it's good that off-land prices have started lower than previous years. Last year's price was particularly steep," he reckons.
"Demand is currently somewhat lukewarm. Ships occasionally go to Africa, but not in large volumes. Otherwise, demand is fairly broad. Far more onions were sown in Europe, so demand from those countries will probably be down from recent years. There's already a good demand for red onions, though, of which growers sowed significantly more, too."
As a commissioning agent, Richard has had a regular client base for years. "My role hasn't changed much over the years, except that there's increasing competition," he explains. "In the mid-90s, there were four of us in Eastern Flevoland; now, there are as many as 15."
"I try to stand out by meeting agreements. My motto is 'Yes is yes, and no is no.' Also, relationships are important, something in which the younger generation of growers isn't so steadfast. In that sense, there used to be more loyalty. Growers also know far more because of all the online information. They sometimes know things before we do, and sometimes various sites greatly exaggerate prices, while those aren't in line with what's happening in practice," concludes Richard.
Richard Bolle
[email protected]