New Mexico:
Chris Franzoy at Young Guns Inc. in Hatch said Young Guns Produce and its sister company Billy the Kid LLC will start packing onions next week from the New Mexico shed. “Our crop looks great on all colors, and we plan to run onions until September,” Chris said. Currently the shed is packing onions from Arizona, he added. Chris said at Billy the Kid, the packing line has been upgraded to a new 12-lane cup sizer with photo optic sorting. “The technology for sorting and packing onions is really advanced now,” he said. “We expect to have perfectly sized and sorted onions while maintaining a dry tight skin, which is important to the retail trade.”
California:
Maria Lopez at Pajaro Valley Fresh Produce in Watsonville said the crop at Huron is coming along great, and she said, “We will start in late May or early June with our yellows, followed by reds the next week. Whites will start mid-May. We should have plenty of volume, possibly more than last year, and we are anticipating a good market and a strong season this year.” Maria said the company is working the Imperial Valley deal, and she said there might be a bit of a hiccup between that and the San Joaquin start. “We’re working down in the Imperial Valley and getting ready for what’s coming up here,” she said. Pajaro Valley Fresh will ship into the first or second week of September.
Walla Walla, WA:
Kathy Fry-Trommald, director of marketing for the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Committee, said on May 11 she hasn’t heard “anything but good news from our producers.” She added that spirits are high after a mild winter. “We’re looking forward a regular season’s start around June 10, and it looks like yields will be up this year,” she said. Walla Walla Sweets are overwintered, direct seeded and transplants.
IEO:
The IEO crop is progressing smoothly, according to Chris Woo at Murakami Produce on Ontario, OR. Early onions are looking very good. Some late plantings have had to contend with wind and rain, but overall the area is looking good for an August harvest start. Temps are on the rise this week, and growers are looking for the onions to really take off.
