Market and Crop Update for October 28, 2021

Featured image: Onions ready to ship, Northwest Onion Co. in Brooks, OR, photo courtesy of Robert Bell with Western Onion in Camarillo, CA.

MARKET

Washington:

Matt Murphy with L&M Companies in Raleigh, NC, told us on Oct. 27 that demand is steady this week. “Demand has been steady,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s on fire, but we’re definitely in a good spot leading into the holiday season.” Matt continued, “We are now shipping solely out of Warden, WA. We wrapped up our shipments out of Rocky Ford, CO, and Ulysses, KS, and we had a great season in those areas. Now, we are planning for next season with the growers there.” He said demand this week is primarily for jumbo sizes. “Most buyers know there aren’t a lot of colossals and supers out there, so they are buying a lot of jumbo yellow and reds this week. We’re also selling quite a few mediums in consumer packs as well.” And, he said, “The market is really doing great. There isn’t any pressure to move up, but then again, there isn’t any pressure at all to take it down, so we are in a very comfortable place right now, and things are looking good going into the holiday season.” Looking ahead, he said, “Of course, we are telling our customers to preplan for the holidays and get their orders in early.” On quality, Matt said it is very good. “We have been into our storage stuff for about a month, and it looks like the crop will probably be short, but we won’t know how short until after the first of the year.” About transportation, Matt said, “So far it hasn’t been a big problem, but every day I come into the office expecting for the problems to hit, and they will. It is Oct. 27, and it’s just a matter of time when the weather and the holiday season are going to take over, and it’s going to get even tougher. “He advised, “Everyone better get ready for it.”

Oregon:

Our thanks to Robert Bell with Western Onion in Camarillo, CA, for the great photos he took during a visit to Northwest Onion Co. in Brooks. The opener photo shows Greg and Tony Bennett with Dr. Michael Havey looking at storage reds.

Idaho-E. Oregon:

Dan Phillips with Eagle Eye/Central Produce Company in Payette, ID, told us on Oct. 27that demand was steady this week. “Demand for all colors and sizes across the board is pretty steady this week,” he said. “Demand on whites could be a little stronger, and demand on reds definitely exceeds supplies right now, and that has been the case for a while. The market continues to be strong and steady, too, and we don’t foresee that changing.” Dan said quality is very good. “Luckily, we finished all of our harvest before the recent rains. We are very pleased with our quality and our pack outs have been very good. On the other hand, transportation is an ongoing struggle and the same old story. Trucks are tight and expensive.”

Chris Woo with Owyhee Produce in Nyssa, OR, and Parma, ID, told us on Oct. 27 demand this week has been “so-so.” Chris said, “Pricing is steady, and I’m busy giving out price quotes for Turkey Day pull.” And, he added, “I’m more busy telling and educating customers to buy onions grown and packed in the United States.”

Herb Haun with Haun Packing in Weiser, ID, weighed in on Oct. 27, saying, “Demand is good overall.” He said many sheds in the valley have supplies to run into March and April. Haun Packing, he said, will run through February. Herb also said his shed is tight on whites and reds now. “Quality is holding well,” he said, adding, “That’s always nice.”

Atlanta:

John Adams with John Adams Produce told us on Oct. 27 it’s been a bit slow this week. “One of my customers on the Atlanta Market told me, ‘It’s pokey.’ But the last week of the month is generally slower, and it should pick up next week. People will start shopping for Thanksgiving.” He added, “Jumbos are the biggest sellers, and we do have plenty of inventory in Idaho and Oregon.” John said he also believes “people are gun shy” as a result of the recent recall of onions from Chihuahua. “I’ve sent letters to my customers with audit information from my U.S. growers. I think it’s important to be up front with everyone.” He added that one of his Rio Grande Valley growers is planting, and he said, “He expects to be shipping by March.”

Wisconsin:

Doug Bulgrin with Gumz Farms in Endeavor reported in on Oct. 27 and said demand is excellent this week. “If you have jumbo yellows, you can pretty much write your own ticket this week,” he laughed. “Seriously, jumbo yellow and red demand is very good this week, and pricing is stable.” He continued, “We expect that when the November crop report comes out, we should see a boost in the market. I am working on that report with NOA’s Greg Yielding now, and it’s been delayed slightly. But we should have that out soon.” Doug said Gumz quality is very good, noting, “We had very nice and dry harvest conditions, and we were able to get everything in storage in a timely fashion. And so we are very happy with this season’s quality.” On transportation, he said, “We are in a unique situation here in Wisconsin, and we don’t have as many transportation issues as other areas might. We have had to pay a little more, and trucks have gotten tighter, but overall we don’t have any complaints so far.”