Featured image: Eagle Eye Oregon crop progress as of July 3, photo courtesy of Dallin Klingler with Eagle Eye Produce Company
The Nyssa, OR, Eagle Eye Produce team is looking at a somewhat later start to 2022-23’s NW harvest and shipping season due to the region’s cold and wet spring, but according to Jason Pearson, overall the crop is coming along well as evidenced by what’s currently being harvested in Washington.
“Our growing season in the Northwest started slowly with a cold, wet, and windy spring which will have an impact on yields, sizing, and quality in some areas,” he said on July 27. “However, the early summer was very mild, and the onions bounced back fairly quickly. Things are starting to heat up now, but as long as it keeps cooling down at night, the crops should keep progressing nicely.”
Jason said in terms of size, fewer colossals are likely to be in the mix. He said, “Due to the late start and heat, we are expecting size to be impacted slightly; however, quality is looking excellent. We’re expecting more jumbos and mediums than colossal sizes.”
And he said timing has been adjusted as well. “Our start dates throughout the Northwest have been pushed back due to the weather. Our team in Washington has started harvest for yellow onions, with red and yellow to follow. We are very happy with what we are seeing coming out of the field in Washington, and we’re sure that will continue as things pick up in the next few weeks,” Jason said.
He added, “In Idaho and Eastern Oregon, we are planning to start yellow onion harvest in mid-August. Red and yellow onion harvest will be two to three weeks after that.”
Joe Ange commented on the market, saying he expects it to maintain momentum. “With lower yields and shorter seasons than historically in New Mexico and California, we don’t expect much of a supply overlap between growing regions which means the market should stay steady as new crop supplies come online in the Northwest,” Joe said. “We are hoping the markets will stay strong as growers and shippers take on significantly higher costs throughout this season.”
Joe said Eagle Eye has made additional upgrades to its Nyssa operation, noting, “We continue to invest into our packing facilities and storage facilities. In Nyssa, we recently installed new equipment that will improve efficiencies. Last season we were happy to announce the new retail packing line at our partner facility in Payette, ID, which will help us diversify our product line.”
And, he said, “We are also investing in new technology and software solutions to improve our processes throughout our facilities. We feel like this is a major advantage for us in that we are always looking for new innovative solutions to improve our packs and efficiencies.”
Joe said Eagle Eye is focused “on bringing new small-pack business on as we continue to bolster our supply as a company. We can now pack everything from two-pound bags all the way up to the traditional bulk bags and bins. We recently started shipping onions with individual PLU labels and we are committed to continuing to meet our customers’ needs through innovative packaging.”
“Like most people in the country, rising costs and inflation are the major concerns for us,” Jason added, “Rising input costs throughout the supply chain will continue to impact growers, shippers, and consumers, which in turn will raise food prices and the cost of doing business. We will continue to see the effects of this for the months and years to come. It has never been harder to predict the future, but we hope these rising costs will ease up.”
Many thanks to Dallin Klingler with Eagle Eye Produce for sending photos from their Oregon, Washington, and California onion crops and harvests.
