Featured image: Treasure Valley yellow onions, photo by OnionBusiness.com
MARKET
Washington/Peru:
Dan Borer with Keystone Fruit Marketing reported in from his Walla Walla, WA, sales office on Oct. 5 to say, “Our Northwest onion program is off to a great start. Everything that is coming in looks pretty darn good on quality, and the size profile looks good as well. We aren’t overrun with too many mediums. The market remains relatively strong, and it seems to be settling in at a good place. Really, we have no complaints.” He continued, “Harvest is going well, and it appears that our growers will be able to finish up in the next couple of weeks. We have had excellent late summer weather which has really helped finish the onions. It’s been 7-10 degrees above normal – just perfect fall harvest weather.” When asked about imports, Dan said things are going smoothly for their Peruvian program. “Sales are going at a good pace, and pricing is good as well. We have good volume coming in, and the quality has been very good. We do have the usual port hang-ups, but it is nothing like last year. Again, we have no complaints coming from Keystone.”
Idaho/Oregon/Utah/Colorado/Michigan:
Rick Greener with Greener Produce in Ketchum, ID, told us on Oct. 5 that he and his team are moving onions out of Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Colorado and Michigan. “Things are cruisin’ right along,” Rick said. “Demand has been decent, and we are fishing in every hole we can find. The quality of the product we’ve been moving has been very good, and the market is strong depending on what you’re buying. Colossals and supers are doing really well, and medium market is pretty sick right now. The market is in flux for some onions. Reds are a little soft, and jumbo whites seem to be steady. Jumbo yellows can be all over the board, but you have to remember, if you are buying cheap there could be quality issues.” On freight, Rick said it can be all over the board as well. “Freight rates do seem to be edging up like I mentioned a couple of weeks ago,” he said. “It really depends on the company and the lane. Rates are pretty much all over but starting to increase.”
Idaho-E. Oregon:
Dan Phillips with Central Produce/Eagle Eye reported in from his Payette, ID, sales office. “Demand is good this week, and we are moving what we need to,” Dan said on Oct. 5. “We have availability of all colors and sizes, and the quality has been excellent.” He went on to say, “We are wrapping up harvest today and getting everything in the barn. The market is in a little bit of flux right now. Some folks are trying to clean up their ‘green top’ onions that they need to move, so it depends on what you are getting on price. For us, things are going really well and we off to a great start.”
Chris Woo weighed in on Oct. 5, saying, “I see a few more onions to be picked up and not as many loaded trucks with raw product on the way to offload. Onion harvest is almost over with another week to 10 days more to finish stragglers.” He continued, “Onions I’ve seen being offloaded with this Indian summer we been having have looked gorgeous, with excellent color and well cured.” And Chris said, “Demand is keeping us fairly busy, and the market is steady on all three colors.” He added, “Sheds have been concentrating on harvest and getting off the ground. They will be able to devote more time and energy on marketing this fine crop after storage process gets done.”
Dwayne Fisher with Champion Produce Sales in Parma, ID, gave us this report on Oct. 5: “Business finally picked up today. Monday’s USDA numbers showed our area shipping 72 loads for our region and more than double that out of our biggest competitor’s area. That made me scratch my bald head.” He went on to say, “Demand did start off this week weak, and when people are offering discounts, that is what happens, buying slows. Today it feels like everyone has found their base line, and now with harvest wrapping up (it’s Oct. 5 and we are basically done – no onion harvesting for trick or treat this year!), I think reality is setting in!” Dwayne said, “What is the reality? Where we are at market-wise is not where we should be, and the move back up to where we started seems very likely and needed for our farms/growers’ financial solvency. I know on our farm we ask ourselves who wants to work this hard, with this much risk, to not make any money?! We need a strong market to keep a strong onion industry in our area.” And he added, “Now that harvest is all but done, the reality is we should have that, plus some, this season. We are very bullish and positive that our team’s amazing work ethic will pay good dividends this season. Customers love a strong, steady, upward-trending market, and they hate one going the opposite direction. Time to make everyone happy!”
Utah/Colorado Western Slope:
Don Ed Holmes with The Onion House in Weslaco, TX, said his Corinne, UT, and Olathe, CO, onion deals are moving along well. “Utah will be all in the barn late this week or early next week, and they’ll have whites and reds,” he said on Oct. 5. Don Ed added that his growers are seeing good volume in jumbos, colossals and supers, and he said quality is “really good,” adding that the growers are calling 2022 one of the best crops they’ve had. “Colorado has a big crop, too,” he said, noting that the Western Slope had gotten recent showers and had shut down for a couple of days. “They’ll be back in tomorrow,” he said. “Movement is good. The market eased just a shade, but it seems more stable today. Trucks are tight, but they’re gettable. All in all it’s going really well.”
Organic Onions:
Brad Sumner with Pacific Coast Trading Co. in Portland, OR, said on Oct. 5 that he is currently moving organic onions from California and Washington. “Demand is down this week,” he said. “This is when I wonder how much disasters in one part of the country affect the activity of the entire country. Supply of mediums on reds and yellows is a little easier to come by.” Brad said sheds are finishing up harvest, and he added, “The organic yellow market is easing down to traditional numbers, and reds and whites are staying good and steady.” He said organic quality is “very good as most sheds have gotten through their intermediates and are into their long days.” Transportation is without rhythm, he said. “The Washington-to-California trucks are available Tuesday and Wednesday with market pricing, and then Thursday and Friday roll around and the trucks decide to raise their prices because demand increases for last minute weekend trucks. No rhythm to the transportation deal. I shop early. Plan ahead where you can.” Looking at crop transitions, Brad said, “This is California, Nevada, Washington, Idaho and Oregon organic onion time of year. Supplies will continue out of these areas until late February early March.”
CROP
Tampico, Mexico:
Dan Borer with Keystone Fruit Marketing in Walla Walla, WA, told us on Oct. 5 that Keystone’s Mexican grower is pleased how the onions are progressing in Tampico. “For us, things are going well in Tampico,” he said. “Our grower has received ample rain, and it looks like the crop is off to a good start.”
Tampico, Mexico/Texas Rio Grande Valley:
Don Ed Holmes with The Onion House in Weslaco, TX, said on Oct. 5 his growers in Mexico are about 70 percent done with planting at this time. “They’ve been planting direct seed and transplants,” he said, adding that “the stars are lining up” for a good crop. “It looks like last year,” he said. As for the start of shipping, “They always shoot for the second week in January for whites, and there are also sweets now.” He said the Rio Grande Valley was ready to start its planting this weekend.
