Featured image: Imperial Valley crop progress (West Valley Packing), photo courtesy of John Vlahandreas and Mike Smythe
MARKET
Washington:
John Vlahandreas with Wada Farms reported in from his Salem, OR, sales office on Feb. 16. “Demand is good this week, but there aren’t enough onions to fill any outside business,” he said. “I am covering my regular customers, but there just isn’t enough onions to cover a whole lot of orders for buyers that are calling around looking for onions. Demand is mostly for reds and jumbo yellows and colossal yellows. Prices are up, and it seems like every week there will be at least one color and size that moves up.” John continued, “I have buyers calling and asking me about the forecast and if I see the market changing, and it’s just too hard to get a handle on it. Onions are scare, and it’s likely the smaller shippers in Idaho-Oregon are going to finish sooner than they normally do.” And, he said, “Though Mexico should be increasing volume and Texas is going to come on sometime between March 1 and 15, that doesn’t mean the prices are going to change. Buyers are looking ahead too. I have buyers contacting me trying to work out some contracts on our Imperial Valley stuff.” On transportation, John said it’s still tough. “At this point in the season, some shippers don’t want to risk putting onions on cars for a nine-day rail car ride, and trucks are still pricey. Some freight companies are adding a 5 percent surcharge to cover the increase in diesel. So at this point, it’s hard to say if freight is going to get any easier this spring.”
Idaho-E. Oregon/Washington:
Jason Pearson with Eagle Eye Produce reported from his Nyssa, OR, sales office on Feb. 16. “Demand is a little slow this week, but we are still moving plenty of onions,” he said. “I think some of the reason demand might be a little off is that the pipeline is full, and buyers are trying to figure out how this market is going.” He continued, “On the demand we are getting this week, yellows are doing pretty well, and there is a lot of red action. Mexico is keeping their reds in-country, and that has contributed to the continued strong red demand.” On the market, Jason said it’s steady. “The market is strong and steady, and we have seen that increases on reds and yellows have moved as well,” he said. “We do need to remember that even on a little slower week, we need to hold this market and keep pushing.” Jason added trucks have been easier to find this week. “Don’t get me wrong – rates are still very expensive, but we are having an easier time getting trucks.”
Mexico/Utah:
Don Ed Holmes with The Onion House in Weslaco, TX, told us on Feb. 16 volume out of Mexico continues to be light, although he said it should pick up within the week with more jumbos coming in. Sold out for this week, Don Ed said he’ll have yellows and possibly whites on Monday. He also said reds should start on March 1 to mix with the yellows and whites. Weather has been a major factor, with temps cooler than normal for both the Tampico area and also S. Texas. “Today is the first day over 80 in three weeks here,” Don Ed said. He added that after this weekend, which is forecast to cool off again, temps should moderate to a more seasonal level. About the increase in volume that’s expected next week, Don Ed said, “As we get into the bigger sizes, I think the medium market will pick up because of the higher percentage of jumbos.” Don Ed also said he’s completely finished in Utah for the season, noting, “They had a really good deal.”
Atlanta:
John Adams with John Adams Produce told us on Feb. 16, “The market this week is a little bit slow, and we’re starting to transition over to Texas for Mexican onions.” John said pricing is “very reasonable,” and he said he’s seeing “good looking onions.” As for transportation, he said, “Freight prices have come down, and truck some more available.” On availability, John noted, “Right now still a big gap with reds, but they are coming in across the border from Mexico now, we should be moving over there by next week.” He added, “Overall, all my customers are telling me the same thing – it’s just a bit slow this week.”
Mexico:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in McAllen, TX, said on Feb. 16 he’s shipping all three colors out of Mexico, and he said while his supplies are good, demand is especially strong. “Whatever you have is not enough. They want more.” He said, “The market in Mexico is stronger now, and that pulls some product that would be coming here off the market.” He said overall supplies out of Mexico are “below expected seasonal levels.” Sizes he’s shipping now are running heavy to jumbo-colossal-super, and David said, “There are other guys that are running mediums to jumbos. But it will all average out when we get further into the crop.” David also commented on the cooler weather in Mexico and S. Texas, saying, “It’s cooler than normal, but it’s warming today. S. Texas should be in the 80s, cooler again this weekend and them warming up. Same for Tampico.”
CROP
S. Texas:
Don Ed Holmes with The Onion House in Weslaco said on Feb. 16 the weather in the Rio Grande Valley is starting to warm up, and this year’s crop “looks on time for the last week of March.”
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in McAllen told us on Feb. 16 the S. Texas crop is “on track, and there could be some light volume in early and mid-March.”
Imperial Valley, CA:
John Vlhandreas with Wada Farms in Salem, OR, told us on Feb. 16 that the Troy Caston S. Cali onion crop progress is looking very good. “We have had exceptional weather this growing season,” he said. “So we should be able to get going earlier this year. We expect to get started with reds out of the gate around April 15, with yellows to follow somewhere between April 20 to 25.” John added, “The crop looks very good, and we should have a great season in the desert this year.” Many thanks to John Vlahandreas and Mike Smythe with West Valley Packing for sending recent Imperial Valley crop photos.
Jason Pearson with Eagle Eye Produce gave us an update on the company’s California program on Feb. 16. “The Imperial Valley has had very good growing weather, and, knock on wood, we should get going down there around mid- to late April,” he said. “The crop is in good shape, and it should be a good season.”
