Feature image: Carzalia Valley Produce onions, photo courtesy of James Johnson with Cazalia Valley Produce in Columbus, New Mexico
MARKET
Washington:
Dan Borer with Keystone Fruit Marketing reported on Jan. 12 from his Walla Walla sales office, saying, “It’s a typical January, and we really have no complaints. All the pandemic stuff aside, there is the typical pressure to move onions.” He added that it’s “not because there are quality issues. The onions are great. And it’s not because there are too many onions. According to the NOA, it could be one of the smaller crops.” Dan said, “It’s just that typically growers like to see their onions move in January, and Mexico is coming on a little early, too. It’s the normal January angst everyone gets, and we all know it seems like demand never keeps up with the supplies we’d like to move. We also all know that as we turn the corner toward spring, demand always picks back up.” On the market, Dan said the Food Box program should help. “The renewed USDA Food Box Program should be another help for the market. Filling the void where onions aren’t going to processors is going to help the market.” He added that Keystone’s sweet program is doing well. “Our sweets sales are doing very well. We have very good quality, and pricing has been very good,” Dan said. When asked about Keystone’s 2021 planting, he noted, “We’ve had warmer weather up here, and it’s moist. Growers are in the fields, and there is early planting going on. It looks like we will have the same program in 2021 as we had in 2020, and we are excited for the new year.”
Idaho-E. Oregon:
Herb Haun with Haun Packing in Weiser, ID, said on Jan. 13 the market this week “started out more active, and it’s a little slower today.” He said, “Quality overall is good, and demand is fair.” Herb noted that while the market is considered, “fair,” overall movement from the Treasure Valley remains ahead of YTD 2020. He also said that reds and whites are picking up in demand, with yellows staying steady. “Transportation has gotten better since the first of the year,” he said. And he said the region has gotten snow recently, with the mountains seeing a good snowpack for the summer water supply.
Colorado Western Slope/Utah:
Don Ed Holmes with The Onion House in Weslaco, TX, said on Jan. 13 his Colorado deal will go another 10 days, with mostly medium yellows available. Utah, he said, has another month with “excellent quality and size.” He added, “Transportation is better after the first of the year, and the continued Food Box Program has people excited.”
Northern Colorado:
John Harris with Paradigm Fresh in Fort Morgan told us on Jan. 7, “Markets are steady with an upward swing likely coming our direction.” He said whites are tight, and he added, “Medium yellows are still in short supply, and that will only continue with the new USDA box program.” John continued, “Canada has a very short crop, and so does Michigan, increasing the odds that we are going to have more demand than supply this spring. Reds are tightening to some degree, but overall there doesn’t seem to be any shortage at the moment.” And, he said, “Jumbo yellows are still the black sheep, with more movement needed than seems to be available.” And he noted the Mexican new crop yellows that were to start shipping this week. John said, “This market is going to be very bullish as we move into February and March, especially as vaccines become more available and the country continues to reopen to full capacity. Whites have a strong chance to move up the board quickly in the coming weeks, as do medium yellows.” And, he said, “We all know trucks are tight, and for at least now so is pack time on many items. Plan ahead.”
Tampico, Mexico:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in Mission, TX, said on Jan. 13, “Mexico started packing today, and we will be at full speed by next week. We have yellows and sweets to start, and whites will be at the end of next week. Reds will come in two weeks. The onions look very uniform, with a lot of jumbos.” He continued, “We can see a pretty steady harvest period straight through with no gaps.” And, David said, “These are the best yields we’ve had since 2007.”
Don Ed Holmes with The Onion House in Weslaco, TX, told us on Jan. 13, “We have onions curing now and should have a few on Jan. 25. We’ve had people calling on sweets, and we’re getting ready to start. We’ll also have whites and reds.”
CROP
New Mexico:
James Johnson with Carzalia Valley Produce in Columbus told us on Jan. 13 the weather in his region has been a major factor. “Honestly, with the extreme cold we’ve had, the crop is pretty dormant and pretty ugly,” James said. “This weather can’t figure out where it wants to be – 60’s for the high one day and a 12-degree low the next. We’ve had three days now of lows in the low teens.” He added, “Plantings in the area seem to be flat to maybe a little down on acreage. Stands went into winter excellent, but time will tell how this cold weather will affect.”
Texas Rio Grande Valley:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in Mission said on Jan. 13 the region had seen cooler temps recently but was returning to “more golf-like weather.” He said, “The Texas crop is doing great, and everybody reports average or better stands that are slightly ahead of schedule. We might be a little bit early.”
