Featured image: Eagle Eye Produce Instagram post of 2022 California onion crop
MARKET
California San Joaquin Valley:
Dwayne Fisher with Champion Produce Sales in Parma, ID, reported in on June 8, saying, “If we have learned anything from California marketing, it is that even with great yields and lower than 400 loads a day demand, you can maintain a good market!” He went on to say, “A new normal on what is now a low price in the industry has been established based on our record-setting costs, that seem to go higher every day. As salespeople, our first priority has to be keeping our farms alive financially. It appears the industry has accomplishments to applaud on that front, given what our farms are facing in terms of their expenses side of the financial statements.” Dwayne added, “Southern California quality has been very good. and we have now transitioned to the San Joaquin Valley. So far, so good from that region. It looks very promising that this market stays firm and even strengthens as we get a little further into summer.” And, he said, “Certainly there are economic concerns that we all live each day that have us wondering what demand looks like in the coming months. The fact that it appears nothing in posture or policy from the White House is going to stop the speeding train from going off the cliff does make one cautious in their optimism.”
Central California/New Mexico:
Jason Pearson with Eagle Eye Produce Company in Nyssa, OR, told us that Eagle Eye is selling out of Central California and New Mexico this week. “Central California is ramping up, and New Mexico is getting up to full steam this week,” he said. “We have availability of all colors and sizes on availability. Demand is fairly good this week. It could be better, but we can’t complain. Buyers are looking for mostly yellows and reds, but there are a few whites going out the door. The quality of shipments has been excellent out of both areas, so things are great along those lines.” Jason continued, “The market is holding steady, but it definitely could be better. And looking forward to the potential of short summer supplies, we foresee the market bumping up.” On transportation, Jason said truck availability is good. “We have no trouble getting trucks, but they are still expensive.”
S. Texas Wintergarden:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in McAllen reported on June 8 that the Eagle Pass/Quemado deal “has another week or so with yellows and reds,” and he added, “Sizing is slightly larger than normal, and the market is higher than normal – so we’re happy.” Whites out of Mexico have finished, he said.
Vidalia:
Danny Ray with Ray Farms, Inc. in Glennville told us on June 8 that sales are good this week. “We are moving quite a few reds and yellows,” he said. “The market has been good and holding steady, too. We finished with our fresh shipments yesterday, and we are into our storage onions now. Depending on demand, we should have enough to last the summer, at least well into August.” Danny added, “Labor continues to be a problem. Getting all the onions in the barn and moving labor into packing has helped but it has been a real problem all season.” When asked about quality, Danny said quality continues to be good. “As far as our quality goes, we have been blessed,” he said. “Quality has been very good all along and continues to be very good.” Danny noted transportation has been OK. “We have been doing OK on trucks,” he said, adding that transportation has been available and “rates have been OK for deliveries on the East Coast.”
G&R Farms in Glennville provided us with an update on its 2020 Vidalia program with newsy report recently. “Good weather, good yields and good quality were the themes of this year’s Vidalia onion season,” the report said. “Each year is a race to beat the heat and win favor with Mother Nature. Thanks to near perfect conditions and our hardworking staff we completed harvest in Mid-May and finished in record time.” It continued, “But that doesn’t mean we’re sitting back wondering what’s next. We’re busy in Peru with our next crop of sweet onions so you can have sweet onions all year round.” Our thanks for the harvest/storage video link. Watch it here:
CROP
Idaho-E. Oregon:
Dwayne Fisher with Champion Produce Sales in Parma, ID, provided a Treasure Valley crop update on June 8, telling us, “In Idaho-Eastern Oregon we have received the much-needed moisture we desperately prayed for to ease our concerns of finishing our crop in terms of water being in the ditches in August! Now we just wait and see what heat units look like for the rest of the summer to see where yields end up.” He added, “Again, at least it appears now that we have the water to finish the crop – that was an obstacle we couldn’t have overcome without divine help!”
Colorado Western Slope:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in McAllen, TX, said on June 8 his Colorado growers received some welcome rain recently, and he said after a small acreage of replanting due to recent high winds, the crop is back to normal. “Everything looks really good,” David said. “We shoot for a Labor Day start, and we generally run to Christmas.”
SE Colorado:
Zach Mason with Zach Mason Farms in Fowler told us recently that his crop had been spared from recent winds that have whipped across the state. He said, “I can report that the 2022 onion crop down here all came through the wind all right. Good stands and I didn’t have to replant anything.” He added, “It’s been the most challenging start of a growing season that I can ever remember. The onion fields are coming on like a herd of turtles. Slow and clumsy, but they’re on track to cross the finish line in spite of everything!”
