Onion export exceeds the limit of 40,000 tons for the third time

The Dutch onion export records a weekly export of more than 40,000 tons for the third time this season. In previous years, the weekly export in the first three months of the season rarely exceeded this level. It has happened twice before this season that the export in the first thirteen weeks exceeded 40,000 tons. This occurred in the last full week of September in 2020 and in 2021. A sum of the four full weeks in September results in a total export of more than 155,000 tons. This makes the export over 10,000 tons higher than the peaks in September 2021 and 2022. Compared to the same period last year, 20,000 tons more have been exported. The top month of September has already boosted the total export this season to 371,000 tons, according to preliminary data from KCB and the GroentenFruit Huis. And this with still 39 weeks to go this season. Especially until mid-January, the export will need to benefit from a large outlet toward Africa. Senegal will then close its borders for import onions. In week 39, Senegal was the largest buyer with a total of 10,830 tons. Ivory Coast is also contributing significantly to the uptake of the large onion stocks in the Netherlands. The export to this West African country increased in the last full week of September to over 8,000 tons. This keeps Ivory Coast reasonably in line with Senegal. Number three on the list is traditionally the United Kingdom. The export to the Brits continues to run well with a weekly volume of nearly 3,300 tons. Many countries are purchasing significantly more Dutch onions this year. The biggest exception to this is Israel. Last year they needed a lot of onions there, but this year that need is not present. As a result, the export to this country drops by a staggering percentage of 1106% to just 820 tons. Last year, the country needed nearly 10,000 tons of onions from the Netherlands.