Featured image: Idaho-E. Oregon harvest shot, photo by OnionBusiness.com
MARKET
Washington/Idaho-E. Oregon
John Vlahandreas with Wada Farms reported from his Salem, OR, office on Oct. 21. “Demand is really good this week,” he said. “Whites are still a hot item. Reds are moving well, but there are more of those out there, and yellows are moving, but how much is dependent upon the region. Buyers in Mexico are still pulling quite a few onions, and some are trying to get deals by paying cash, but cash really doesn’t matter since everything goes through the books anyway. But some Mexican buyers are still trying to leverage cash for deals.” On the market, John said, “It’s steady. Now, the only reason why some may say it’s softened is that some buyers may be getting one or two deals out there, and they become confused as to what the price really is. They need to understand that if a shipper here or there is moving a load or two off their floor, that price is not the market price, nor does it set the market. Funny too, because if we all talked to each other more, we could get those one or two loads that need to be moved taken care of by another shipper that may need that particular size or color. Then, they wouldn’t need to make deals. Of course, this issue isn’t anything new – and again, one or two deals don’t set the market.”
Jason Pearson with Eagle Eye Produce in Nyssa, OR, reported in Oct. 21, saying demand is steady this week. “Things are moving at about the same pace as last week,” Jason said. “Whites continue to be a hot item, and though we have availability, we are sold out for the week. Demand for yellows and reds is good, but there is not a lot of demand for supers.” Jason said the market has weakened. “The market is soft this week, mostly due to unnecessary panic on the part of some shippers. We need to get it back up there. Our quality continues to be fantastic out of Washington and Eastern Oregon, so prices should be reflecting that.”
Dan Phillips with Central Produce Distributors in Payette, ID, said on Oct. 21 that demand is holding steady, noting, “We are seeing good demand for all colors in all sizes.” He continued, “There really isn’t one size doing better than another – they are all moving well. In fact, we are so busy we are having a hard time finding enough production time, but that’s a good problem to have.” Dan said the market also remains steady. “Sure, you are always going to have a handful of people looking for deals, but then again, you always get that,” he said. “Overall the market remains steady.” And he added, “Quality is absolutely exceptional, and we are pleased. On the other hand, freight has been really tough. We have been able to send flatbeds south, and we could be doing that for a bit, but when that ends, it’s going to really get bad.”
Colorado Western Slope/Utah:
Don Ed Holmes with The Onion House in Weslaco, TX, told us on Oct. 21 that the Western Colorado onion season is progressing well. “Everything is good,” Don Ed said. “John Harold finished his intermediates this week, and all the long-day onions are in storage. So, we will go right into the winter storage onions. Quality is excellent, and we have all three colors.” He continued, “Utah is running now with good size, and reds, whites and yellows are all available.” Trucks, Don Ed said, are tight in both places, but he added, “We have gotten all the trucks we need, but it’s been a little bit of a battle.”
Southeastern Colorado /Kansas/Washington
Matt Murphy with L&M Companies in Raleigh, NC, also called demand steady this week. “Whites and reds are doing really well,” he said. “There is a fair amount of demand for yellows, mostly for mediums. Our operations in Colorado and Kansas are doing well. We have had a pretty decent freight advantage, but that could change with the weather and holidays around the corner. The temperatures now are such that the flatbed days are gone, and once the nurseries start kicking in for Christmas, freight will be bad everywhere. We will be moving onions out of Kansas for the next couple of weeks and winding down that operation around the first of November. Onions coming out of our Colorado location will most likely take us through the holidays.” Matt said L&M’s Warden, WA, location has also been busy. “Demand is good coming out of Washington,” he said. “Since we wrapped a little early on New Mexico, we got started out of Warden a little early. While we have plenty of supplies, we are a little ahead of schedule there.” Matt said export business is doing well this week with continued demand from Mexico and increased demand from Canada. “We are getting reports that Canada’s yields could be off, and it seems like there is more pressure being put on Canada to make it a little tougher to bring their stuff in,” he said. Matt said the market is steady, noting, “Really, the market should be higher, but it’s not horrible. We just think with the quality, the market should be higher than it is right now.”
CROP
Texas Rio Grande Valley/Tampico, Mexico:
Don Ed Holmes with The Onion House in Weslaco, TX, said on Oct. 21 his growers got started planting in the Rio Grande Valley last week and will be at about 50 percent this Friday. “We should finish up planting by Nov. 10-12,” he said. Tampico planting is wrapping up, he noted, and he said weather has been good in both locations. The RGV program will remain the same as it has been, and he said he thinks the Texas acreage could be down again this year somewhat. “We are guardedly optimistic,” Don Ed said about the deal. “The sweet onion category continues to grow, and we think there could be additional marketing for Texas and Mexico.”
Vidalia, Georgia
Many thanks to G&R Farms for forwarding their latest video about planting and caring for their Vidalia onion crop, featuring our friend, Cliff Riner. Props to Cliff! He does an excellent job!
