Onion export makes significant progress towards Christmas

The Dutch onion export sees this season more often weeks with shipments above 40,000 tons than a dart player scores 180. In recent weeks, shipments have been alternating, one week above, the other week just below. That is unprecedented. In week 44, according to preliminary figures from the KCB and the GroentenFruit Huis, a total of 40,612 tons was exported. This is already the sixth time this season that the export has exceeded 40,000 tons. And that in eighteen weeks; in that regard, the export is thus 1 in 3. Since 2021, it sometimes happens that the Dutch onion export places more than 40,000 tons of onions across the border in one week. Until this season, that happened eight times, half of which were in the 2024-2025 season. This season, the tally is already at six, and the weeks with traditionally the largest sales are yet to come. Normally, from mid-November, the largest quantities of onions are shipped. Before Christmas, buyers want to stock up because they can sell the most onions right before the holidays. This will likely be the case again this year. It is expected that in the period leading up to Christmas, every week some boats will be filled for Africa. This immediately takes away large quantities, as such a boat can quickly hold 5,000 to 6,000 tons of onions. In the eighteen weeks for which export figures are known this season, nearly 570,000 tons of onions have been exported in total. Of that, 125,000 tons have been destined for Senegal. Ivory Coast follows with just over 105,000 tons. In week 44, the last week of October, about 10,000 tons were shipped to Senegal. This means that the approximately 19 million Senegalese each have half a kilo of onions for a week. And they are gone again when the next shipment arrives. In smaller quantities, the onions are transported from the port city of Dakar to the interior by trucks. Onions are the largest component on the plate of warm food in the country. Ivory Coast is also significantly increasing its imports of Dutch onions. In week 44, the export to this country increased to just over 9,100 tons. Great Britain is also increasing its imports and took in a total of 3,820 tons of onions from the Netherlands in week 44. The total export to the islanders has thus risen to 52,170 tons.