Broad demand marks the start of the new onion export season

For the time of year, there is a good demand for onions from the new harvest. Demand at the beginning of July has not been this good in five years as it is now, notes an exporter. The optimism is largely shared by other exporters, sorters and packers. It is not a strange start, it is actually going quite reasonably, responds another exporter. There is broad demand. Onions are going to Central America and Africa, while Asia is also on the market. Europe is still absent, but that is usual in this period. European destinations have sufficient product from their own harvest. As in previous years, prices are falling at the start of the season. The difference is that this season started at a lower level. With lower prices, sellers hope to carry the strong sales at the end of the old season into the new trading year. The coming weeks will have to show whether that succeeds. At the end of next week, larger quantities of spring planted onions will become available, replacing the winter planted onions. It is still uncertain whether there is enough demand to place this larger supply smoothly and prevent lots from being carried over. Area figures Sellers point to the area figures from the CBS agricultural census and stress that it is in everyone's interest for sales to keep getting off to a good start from the beginning of the season. The area for planted onions in particular is larger than last year. Questions are being raised about these figures, but the market is taking them into account for now. Although growers have sold little so far, a considerable quantity of onions is entering the sales channel. This is because especially large companies are relying in the early phase on their own crop or previously contracted lots. Buying extra is hardly happening. In about a week and a half to two weeks, more buying demand is expected to emerge, which will also make it clearer how much supply is available. Lower prices Meanwhile, the DCA Benchmark Price Packaged Onions of new onions is falling to around €25 per 100 kilos. The extent to which more is paid depends on the buyer's preferences. The size of the product plays only a limited role in this. Mainly medium sizes are being sold, although large onions are also finding their way quickly. The DCA Benchmark prices are falling this week by €4 to €5 to around €25 per 100 kilos. Some companies are achieving slightly higher prices for large onions, while other lots are being sold below the medium size price. That indicates that mainly quality and destination determine the price, and less the sorting.