Featured image: Idaho-E. Oregon Onions. Photo by OnionBusiness.com
Colorado Western Slope/Corinne, UT:
Chuck Hill with The Onion House in Weslaco, TX, told us on September 10 his Olathe grower will be shipping some reds and whites on Friday and Saturday of this week, and on Monday all three colors will be moving full steam. “We’re ready,” Chuck said. “John Harold said size is good and quality is excellent, the best crop he’s seen in years. We’ll be crankin’ up on Monday with our intermediates and will then go into storage.” The onions are expected to run through the end of the year. The Corinne, UT, growers expect to start moving onions between Oct. 5-10, Chuck added.
Organic Onions:
Brad Sumner with Pacific Coast Trading Co. in Portland provided his report on September 11. “Organic market remains strong even as more and more areas begin harvesting and packing,” Brad said. “CA is still rolling and the few sheds that store for over winter business are tucking onions away. Oregon, Idaho, Washington are all up and packing. We are also getting organic onions out of Michigan now and quality is really nice! The final loads for us out of Baja are crossing this week.” He continued, “Hasn’t been the smoothest South of the border deal but we will still take it as overall quality and volume worked for our program. Let’s see how everything settles out over September as all onions are harvested and brought into the sheds. I anticipate a steady roll into the Holidays, but you never know!”
Idaho/Oregon/Washington:
John Vlahandreas with Wada Farms in Salem, OR, told us on September 11, saying, “Demand is decent this week,” John said, “It’s been pretty much normal business. Buyers are looking for yellows in jumbo sizes and larger.” John continued, “Basically they want anything that is going to make them money. This brings me to the market and we’re looking at a strong and stable market. I think it’s a good testament to shippers holding firm. It’s a good sign. Quality is also good. Growers may not be fully into their storage stuff, but they’re getting close.” Finally, John said, “Transportation continues to be fine and we haven’t had any issues, so we’re just cruisin’ along this week.”
Idaho/Washington/Oregon/Utah:
Rick Greener with Greener Produce in Ketchum, ID provided his report on September 11 saying, “Demand on Monday and Tuesday was pretty good,“ Rick said. “Today, we’re selling but it’s slowed down some. We’re shipping out of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Utah. Buyers are looking for Supers and Colossals and as the Idaho/Oregon shippers get further into their crop, larger volumes of big onions are readily available. I have to say, quality just keeps getting better and better as the Northwest growers get further into their crops.” On the market, Rick commented, “The market on yellow and reds seems stable and holding. Whites are still all over the board, which still has much to do with quality. By now, Mexico would be pulling some whites from the States, but they seem to have enough of their own. However, they are pulling reds.” He concluded his report on transportation, “Transportation continues to be easy. We can still use flatbeds and Conestoga’s, so we’re in good shape!”
Idaho-E. Oregon:
Ken Stewart with Asumendi Produce in Wilder, ID, told us on September 11 that the Asumendi’s have started harvesting this week. “Typically, we start a little later than most shippers in the Treasure Valley,” Ken said. “We want to make sure the onions are fully mature and have had time to develop good size and skin set,” he said. “We were out looking in the fields yesterday and the crop looks good. Despite the wet spring and the stretch of higher temps this summer, we are looking at a normal crop with good quality. We expect we’ll have a normal size profile too.” He added, “We anticipate a good season and start shipping the middle of next week.”
Chris Woo reported to us on September 11, saying, “Fall weather is finally upon us. schools have started, county fairs are over, and dog days of summer are behind us. Sweet corn and watermelon harvest is finishing up. Here at Owyhee Produce, we are now concentrating on onion harvest pulling drip tape, undercutting, lifting, and laying onions on top of the ground in windrows to cure, dry, and color up even more.” He added, “I just had one customer come out to visit onion country and he exclaimed he never saw anything looked so fabulous and prolific as this year’s onion crop. Most of the packing sheds have started production out here, I’ve been told demand has been steady and pricing has been decent. Quality and sizing have been a non-issue so far.”