The past few weeks have been bustling for Dutch onion exports. "This week, the intensity has eased a bit. It's still busy, but now we can handle the workload properly. Last week, it was just too much," says Dignus Boone of onion grading and packing station Bowa, based in Waarde.
"I didn't expect the strong demand to last this long. Huge quantities of onions are being exported. Sizes 35-50 are lagging slightly, but the rest are moving like a rocket. The bale price is between 26 and 28 cents, depending on the size, and even the triplets are still selling for around 21 cents. What's great is that everyone in the chain can make a living from this—the farmer, the exporter, and us," he adds.
Jozé, Dignus, and Jan Boone of Bowa
"The key question, of course, is what will happen after Christmas. Some countries will stop buying, and the big question is whether European markets will take over. Personally, I don't think so, but then again, I didn't expect us to export so many onions now either. Forecasting is always challenging in the onion trade. Even after years in the business, there are always surprises."
"We're taking it cautiously ourselves, buying some for January delivery, but we'll have to wait and see. We really can't complain about the quality of the onions. There's always the occasional subpar batch, but overall, we can deliver high-quality onions," Dignus concludes.
For more information:
Dignus Boone
BoWa
Weelweg 19
4414 AW Waarde
[email protected]
www.bowabv.nl