MARKET
Washington
Matt Murphy with L&M Cos. in Raleigh, NC, provided his report on November 8, “Well, we are finished up with our Colorado and Kansas programs, and we are shipping out of Warden, WA exclusively now,” Matt said. “Quality has been excellent, and demand has picked up over the last two weeks. There isn’t really one size or color doing better than another. Everything is shipping pretty even across the board.” He continued, “Where the market is concerned, I think everyone has figured out what they have to work with now that everyone’s harvest is complete. That makes for a strong market, and we are seeing some upward movement. It’s not a big jump, but it’s definitely creeping up. We’ll see how next week and the next after responds market-wise, but the market generally makes a trend upward around Thanksgiving, and then after the Thanksgiving holiday, everyone gets another reset, and they’ll assess their supplies again, and then again after New Year’s. That’s typically how things tend to roll, but like I said, we are in a good position right now.” On transportation, Matt said, “For some customers, the recent favorable weather has allowed us to load some flatbeds, but that won’t last, and during the holidays, everyone can expect higher rates due to Christmas trees and everything in general being shipped for holiday buying.”
Idaho-E. Oregon/Washington:
Jason Pearson with Eagle Eye Produce in Nyssa, OR, told us on November 8 that holiday demand has kicked in. “Demand has been extremely good this week,” Jason said. “Everything is moving across the board. Medium, Jumbo, and Colossal yellows are moving well. Jumbo reds are also doing well. Buyers to need to be aware that mediums in yellows and reds are very tight. We have plenty of whites, so come and get ‘em!” Jason commented on the market. “I am VERY happy to say that the market is firming up and going in the right direction. Our growers do such a fine job of growing; we have to get the very best for them, and we are happy to see the market starting to respond the way it should be.” Jason added his comment on freight. “Trucks are starting to get more and more expensive, and the closer we get to the holidays, availability will get tighter. It’s not just Christmas trees; it’s everything, so we all need to be prepared for it.” Jason ended his report by saying, “On exports, we have seen that business pick up too.”
Idaho-E. Oregon
Steve Baker with Baker & Murakami Produce in Ontario, OR, told us on November 8, “Demand this week seems to be about normal from the previous 3 to 4 weeks.” Steve added, “As of Wednesday a.m., it still remains to be seen if we will have a strong Thanksgiving pull. Demand is fairly even across the board on all sizes and colors. We have had customers looking for more Super Colossals than in previous weeks. Volume on medium reds remains tight.” On quality, Steve said, “Quality has been good, and the appearance of the onions is nice!” On market and transportation, Steve noted, “The onion market has seen an increase on pricing on yellows and reds this week. Truck transportation has gotten a little tighter with reefers since loading flatbeds becomes riskier.”
Chris Woo also provided an update on Treasure Valley on November 8. “We had intermittent showers at the beginning of the week,” Chris said. “Today, it’s dry and brilliantly bright. Most of the commodities in the area have now been harvested except for silage corn. Our growers are presently prepping the ground for next season. Future water supplies seem to be adequate.” Chris continued about the current market, “Any sloppiness of pricing is no longer out there. Yellows of all sizes are seeing good movement with higher pricing. Sheds are busy and bullish filling orders for Turkey Day for our fine customer base,” Chris continued. “White onion pricing is steady in double digits, and reds are steady as well. The old saying is ringing true currently: if you don’t have a source for raw product and you have to take care of the growers, and you choose not to, you aren’t going to have anything to sell.”
Western Colorado:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in McAllen, TX, told us on November 8. “Well, things are pretty much the same as they have been for several weeks,” David said. “We continue to pack all three colors out of storage, and the size profile is very heavy to jumbos. Demand is very good for holiday sales.” David also commented on transportation. “We are still good there; trucks remain available at reasonable rates.”
Michigan/North Dakota/Idaho/Washington/Oregon/Utah:
Rick Greener with Greener Produce provided his report on November 8. “Looks like the Thanksgiving pull is starting to come; buyers are putting in the orders,” Rick said. “We are moving onions out of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Michigan, and North Dakota. Of course, buyers are looking for the retail stuff, but honestly, it’s been pretty even across the board. The smaller onions are snug in all colors, so buyers need to get orders on the books and plan. Export business seems to be steady on movement, too. Quality has been very good, and they’re making good deliveries.” Rick commented on the market. “The market is steady and strong now. There could be some upward movement. We’ll just have to see how that all plays out. Rick noted that freight rates are getting more expensive. “I guess you might be able to get some flatbeds going to L.A., but that’s going to be risky, and as we get closer to the holidays, it’s just one more reason to plan and get the orders in.”
CROP
Texas/Mexico:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in McAllen, TX, told us on November 8. “Tampico is completely planted, and we’ll have similar acreage and about the same timing for an average year,” David said. “Because of water shortages in Texas, we will be down about 50%. I can’t speak for everyone, but because there are various water sources and availability, there are many Texas growers that will be very short this season.”
