Featured image: Cuyama Valley, CA, courtesy of Robert Bell with Western Onion Sales
MARKET
California Cuyama Valley:
Robert Bell with Western Onion Sales in Camarillo told us Sept. 17, “Still quite warm here and no rain in our immediate future.” He added that “SoCal doesn’t usually get rain until late October.” Harvest continues at pace, and Robert said, “We’re still running low on bins so we’re trying to clean up our intermediate supplies to make room.” In addition, he said, “Labor is a challenge, and it’s very hard to find good help, and keep them. We’re turning over 15 percent a week. Loading into bins with our Larrington trailers is giving us excellent quality, but much more labor and equipment are needed – hence the personnel issues.” He said the crew went from six to 20. And, Robert said, the neighboring grower started loading Sept. 16, and in the region “quality appears excellent.”
Idaho-E. Oregon/Washington
John Vlahandreas with Wada Farms reported this week from the road, while at an onion equipment auction with Troy Caston of Caston Farms. He told us Sept. 17, “The market has been stable for the last couple of weeks and I haven’t seen any significant sliding, but there is a chance of volatility.” He added “We’re shipping out of Washington and Idaho-E. Oregon. However, there hasn’t been much coming out of Idaho/Oregon because of recent rains in the area.” He added that “the rains have kept growers from bringing onions to the shed, so supplies on hand are low this week. Consequently, the whole market is going to be affected. At least for the next week or so, the market could get pretty hot.” On transportation, he said, the ability to get trucks is good, John said, “We haven’t had any problem at all getting trucks. Flatbeds are in good supply but the weather is starting to turn, and when flatbeds can’t run, we’ll see it tighten up significantly.”
Idaho-E. Oregon:
Jason Pearson with Eagle Eye Produce in Nyssa, OR, weighed in on Sept. 18, saying, “Demand has been steady, but it has been slower than last week. The demand for yellows is strong. I have been getting calls for colossals and supers, but the highest demand is on jumbos.” Jason added, “The market has stabilized, but you would think it would be higher. The rain we’ve had over the last couple of days is really going to tighten things up here, and we could see the market reflect that.” He said quality has been very good. “As I noted earlier, we really won’t be getting into our storage stuff until October.” And, he said, trucks have been pretty easy to secure. “Basically, you have to get them while you can. While they might be a little late showing up, trucks have been available for us.”
Dan Phillips with Central Produce in Payette, ID, told us on Sept. 18 that demand for Central is good this week. “We are running 10 to 12-hour days, and for the supplies we have on hand, the demand is just right,” Dan said. “Of course, we’re moving a heck of a lot of jumbo yellows, but you know, all sizes and colors seem to be moving at a good pace. too.” He continued, “I would rate the market as steady. It’s been two weeks since there has been an adjustment in price, and that’s a very good sign.” Dan went on to say, “We have received rain these last few days, and that could have an effect on supplies in the short term. Our growers are chomping at the bit ready to get out there, but we need it to dry up with some warm weather and wind to get these fields dried up.” On transportation, Dan said, “I don’t know if it’s that more commodities are starting to ship or what, but trucks have tightened up since last week. We can still get them, but they are just getting a little tougher to come by.”
Colorado Western Slope:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in Mission, TX, told us Coal Creek Produce is shipping 2019 onions as of the end of the week of Sept. 9. He said on Sept. 17, “We started yellows and reds late last week and should reach full volume by early next week.” The season, David noted, got off to a slower start. “Spring was late to arrive and was much wetter than normal,” he said. “We ended up getting all the acreage in, but it was a tough start.” However, the onions have sized well, and David said, “At this point in time, I’m going to go with 90-100 percent of normal in most aspects. The top size, colossals, might be off some, but we’re seeing fewer mediums as well.” He noted the crop looks now to be “very uniform, mostly three to four inches.” And, he said, the season is expected to run as it normally does, winding up in late January or possibly going to mid-February.”
Northern Colorado:
John Harris with Paradigm Fresh in Fort Morgan told us on Sept. 16, “We are starting to hit our September stride right now. It feels a little sluggish, because well, it’s a little sluggish.” John added, “Last week we never had a shipping day with over 400 daily shipments. I would expect to see the shipments increase this week. I have no evidence to suggest that this might happen other than I’m an optimistic guy!” And, he continued, “On a more serious note, there are usually some nice fall ads that start running late in the month as we step into fall. We really should see the daily movement increase, which will help continue to stabilize this overall market and really help solidify sturdy prices going into October.” Quality is improving from the Northwest “as we get into long day onions,” John said. “Shelf life is going up, and you can buy ahead to stock your floors with confidence. No need to keep the inventory so tight that a truck that is one day late ruins your day.” Closer to home, “Colorado onions are going to start coming on strong, and we are ready to roll out of our place to fulfill any of your needs. We have a few whites for mixers, and we have plenty of reds and yellows.”
Broker’s Perspective:
Rick Greener with Greener Produce in Ketchum, ID, told us on Sept. 18 that it’s been a good week. “We are moving onions out of Washington, Idaho/Oregon, Kansas, Utah, and Michigan,” he said. “Demand has been strong, and actually the last 10 days have been really good. It was a rough August, and it’s nice to see it turn around.” Rick continued, “Consumer packs are moving really well, and we’ve been moving some nice whites and yellows out of Kansas, which is great because of location and reduced transportation costs going east. We are selling nice smaller reds coming out of Michigan. too.” Calling the market “steady and doing pretty well,” Rick added, “And with the rain in some areas, I view it as an additional stabilizing factor – particularly this week because if you haven’t put your order in already, sheds are going to be sold out.” He said, “Transportation for us hasn’t been a problem. Now, the pricing might be higher depending on the lane, but we have solid relationships, and so getting the trucks isn’t difficult. The bottom line is, and I’m happy to report, it’s looking good for onions moving forward, so come and get ‘em!”
CROP
Colorado Western Slope/Utah:
Don Ed Holmes with The Onion House was on his way to visit shippers in Colorado, Utah and the Northwest, and on Sept. 18 he told us, “John Harold in Colorado should have onions to run next Monday or Tuesday, and we’ll start with intermediate yellows for the first 10 days. When we get into storage, we’ll have all three colors. We just need the weather to stay warm and dry.” In Corinne, UT, crews are getting the onions ready to put into storage and will ship later this fall.
