Featured image and others included in this week’s report: Colorado Western Slope, Brent Hines and Ahlberg Family Farms, Delta, CO. Photos courtesy of David DeBerry, Southwest Onion Growers, Mission, TX
MARKET
Our Market News and Crop Update are a little lighter this week than normal, something we’ve come to expect during the first couple of weeks after July 4 celebration. Many of our regular contributors are taking their very well-deserved vacations before the burst of activity with new crop onions coming out of multiple locations in late July and early August. As always, we are very grateful to those who are able to contribute this week, and we look forward with our readers to the fall onion season that’s waiting in the wings.
California Bakersfield/New Mexico:
Matt Murphy with L&M Companies in Raleigh, NC, told us on July 15 that business has been very good this week. “We are currently shipping out of Bakersfield and New Mexico,” Matt said. “We are starting to wind down our Bakersfield season, and we will be wrapping up there next week.” He continued, “We are still shipping out of New Mexico, and it’s all direct seed onions now. The New Mexico quality has been very good. Transportation out of New Mexico has been very expensive this year. It’s not a dire situation, and we can get trucks – it has just been costing more than we would like.” Matt said the current market has been steady. “We have been pretty pleased with where the market is right now, and we see that trend continuing,” he said. “It seems like a win-win right now for both sides.”
Idaho:
Rick Greener with Greener Produce in Ketchum, ID, weighed in this week from the road. “The market is stable right now, and we are seeing sheds selling out this week,” he said. “Buyers are still mainly pulling small onions, with more movement starting to push on jumbos out of Mexico, New Mexico and California.” Rick said it’s a bad week for “getting wheels.” He said, “Trucks are available, but rates are higher this week than last.”
CROP
Washington/Colorado/Kansas:
Matt Murphy with L&M Companies in Raleigh, NC, reported on July 15 that L&M is gearing up for its Warden, WA, program. “We will start up the Warden program the week of July 27,” he said. “Everything there looks great! The onion quality is very good, and we are seeing the size profile shape up nicely, so we are pretty excited to get going there. Out of the gate, it will be all yellows, with reds and whites following about three weeks later.” Matt said that the crops in Rocky Ford, CO, and Ulysses, KS, are shaping up well. “Due to the cooler and wet weather, we are a little behind in these areas,” Matt said. “The onions do look good, and we should be starting up there around the Sept. 1.”
Idaho-E. Oregon:
Grant Kitamura with Baker & Murakami Produce Company in Ontario, OR, said that the Treasure Valley harvest will start toward the end of July. “We’ll start harvest at the end of the month and will begin shipping the first full week of August,” he said. “The onions are maturing well, and we expect to have great quality with this year’s crop.”
Northern Colorado:
Robert Sakata with Sakata Farms in Brighton told us July 15 that “knock on wood, everything is so far so good.” RT added that recent weather in the region has spared Sakata Farms onion fields. “There’s been no hail for us,” he said, adding that overall the crop is growing well and on track for a September harvest. “Some fields’ stands are a little thin due to wind, and I replanted one field that was hit by wind early in the season.” But he said crop health is looking good. “Harvest is expected to start in mid-September, but it could be a little early with the heat we’ve had.” The company’s program remains 80 percent yellow, 10 percent white and 10 percent red, he said. And as for any changes at the shed, Robert said, “We’re just staying the same course until we see what’s coming this winter.”
Colorado Western Slope:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in Mission, TX, said his growers in the Delta area of the Western Slope are doing well. “Overall Western Colorado looks like it will be one time, maybe a week early,” David said. Harvest is usually late August/Labor Day. “The stands are average to above-average, and the crop progress has been average to above-average. At this point, everything is fine.”
