Featured image: Walla Walla, WA crop, courtesy of Michael Locati
MARKET
California Bakersfield:
Robert Bell with Western Onion gave us a great update on June 9, saying, “Rio Farms/Gills onions started Monday and will run 20 loads a day, sized, graded and put in storage or sent to plant.” He added, “Quality is fantastic with the majority size profile four-plus inches, very hard with good skin for short days.” He said Gills Onions’ Steve Gill “Invited [Western Onions’] Gerry Valois and me to inspect fields with him. Steven reports plant orders for finished product are rapidly increasing, and he’s optimistic due to the uptick in foodservice orders.” Robert continued, “Western finished the last water on our first organic yellows and reds. They’ll dry for two weeks, and then we go. Temperatures have been up and down so far – 75 degrees yesterday, unlike our normal 100-degree plus days we normally experience this time of year.”
California San Joaquin Valley:
Steve Baker with Baker & Murakami Produce in Ontario, OR, told us on June 10, “Demand has picked up for us this week out of Terra Linda Farms in Huron, CA. With the Imperial Valley winding, down more buyers are making the move to the San Joaquin Valley.” He said that demand is greater for smaller yellows than the larger sizes, and he said, “The market has been very steady this week.” Steve continued, “We have had fair volume on yellows and reds. The size profile has been heavier to the larger sizes, and the quality has been very good.” And, he said, “We should be shipping out of Terra Linda through most of August.”
California and New Mexico:
Jason Pearson with Eagle Eye Produce in Nyssa, OR, reported on June 10, “I am getting ready to travel to visit New Mexico and see how things are going. We started shipping out of there on the June 1, and things are going really well. Demand has been good, and we’re shipping all sizes and colors.” Jason said Eagle Eye finished its Imperial Valley shipments and is now shipping out of the Central Valley for California. “Things went pretty well in the Imperial Valley,” he said. “We had good demand, and the prices were OK but could have been better. Right now, the market for California and New Mexico is stable. I wouldn’t say pricing is great, but it’s steady. Also, we are seeing foodservice demand pick up, and that’s a good thing.”
CROP
Walla Walla:
Michael Locati with Locati Farms and Pacific Agra Farms in Walla Walla said on June 10 that “things are good.” He told OnionBusiness, “We’ll start harvest early to mid-week next week, and our volume will kick in the week of June 22. Yields look like they’ll be good.” Michael said there will be volume on the back end with transplants, and he said, “Quality looks good. We had a storm last Saturday with spotty hail in the area, but it missed us. Size is good, trending on jumbos with colossals later.” Of the Rosé Walla Walla Sweets, he said, “We’re looking for a late June or early July start, and we have nice, new packaging this year.” Many thanks to Michael Locati for sending us this week’s featured image and those below.
Trish Lovell with Baker & Murakami Produce in Ontario, OR, is working the Walla Walla deal for her operation, and she told us on June 10, “The crop looks great with good size and quality, and we’re looking forward to a good season.” She said crews will begin harvest on Monday, June 15, and expect to start packing on Thursday, June 18. “We anticipate having product until the end of July,” she said. Trish added that while labor has not been an issue this season, “We all have to deal with the COVID-19 protocol and procedures.”
Idaho-E. Oregon and Washington:
Jason Pearson with Eagle Eye Produce in Nyssa, OR, told us on June 10 that the crops in the Northwest are coming along nicely. “Everything is in really good shape for our Idaho-Oregon crop and in Washington too,” he said. “The stands are good, and both crops are in very good condition. We anticipate starting within the normal time frames for the Northwest, and we will have overwintering out of Washington by the end of this month.”
Idaho-E. Oregon:
Herb Haun with Haun Packing in Weiser, ID, told us on June 10 fairly cool weather and rain have been the trend, but he said, “The crop is healthy and looks good. Stands are very good, and we’re looking at an early August start for the season.” Of the current market, Herb said he’s been watching and “noticed shipments are down a little.”
