Onion exporters have to take a hit

The positive news is that the threshold of 1 million tons has been surpassed by onion exporters this season. That's where the good news ends in the export figures. The weekly export has imploded.

In week 21, 9,855 tons of onions were exported, according to the figures from KCB/GroentenFruit Huis. This is almost a halving compared to the previous week when 18,224 tons were exported. The five-year average for week 21 stands at 13,764 tons and last year this week the export was 12,530 tons. The drop in exports in week 21 was not entirely unexpected. Week 21 was the week of Pentecost. Many exporters brought forward work for a week.

In week 21, the largest importer of onions from the Netherlands was the United Kingdom with 1,556 tons. That was also the only destination that imported more than 1,000 tons. Ivory Coast and Guinea are in second and third place with 656 and 610 tons respectively.

Jurphaas Lugtenburg

Jurphaas Lugtenburg is a market specialist in onions, carrots, and commodities such as wheat, corn, and soybeans at DCA Market Intelligence. He combines his degree in business administration with a passion for farming.

j.lugtenburg@farmerbusiness.com