CALIFORNIA – San Joaquin Valley:
Steve Baker at Baker Packing in Ontario, OR, told OnionBusiness.com that San Joaquin Valley business has been very good this week. “The market is steady, and buyers seem to be pre-planning for tightening transportation around the July 4 holiday,” Steve said. “Both yellows and reds are moving very well, with a little more push for mediums and jumbos. Quality coming out of the area has been good.” He said Baker expects to be shipping out of the area through Aug. 20 and possibly though the end of August.
Cindy Elrod with Peri & Sons Farms in Firebaugh said that company’s first round of the San Joaquin deal has wrapped up, and PSF is now moving into mid-season varieties. “The size profile with the earlier varieties has been really huge,” Cindy said on June 29. “The mid-season varieties should provide a better mix of sizes.” She said the area just came out of a short gap, and she noted that temps have been in triple digits. “Our conditioning rooms help pull the heat out of the onions,” she said, adding that the operation has been harvesting at night. Also, PSF will move into its Sweetie Sweets program on July 8, and those onions will run for about six weeks. “We’ll harvest through August and pack through mid- to late September,” Cindy said.
John Vlahandreas of Wada Farms said most of the onions are coming out of California right now as opposed to New Mexico because the CA transportation has been a little more readily available. He told OnionBusiness.com the market has leveled off for all sizes and colors. Quality has been good, and all the growers have been through their heat fields. The varieties coming out now are tight and solid, he said. “California growers have planted a wide variety of onions this year and they have done very well,” John said.
WASHINGTON:
John Vlahandreas of Wada Farms told us that Washington overwinter onions are finished up.
View Bakersfield Onions. Photos provided by Rich Hoffman, Santa Maria Seeds
Snowing of onions for heat protection. Bakersfield, CA. Courtesy of Rich Hoffman, Santa Maria Seeds
Snowing of onions for heat protection. Bakersfield, CA. Courtesy of Rich Hoffman, Santa Maria Seeds
Snowing of onions for heat protection. Bakersfield, CA. Courtesy of Rich Hoffman, Santa Maria Seeds
Snowing of onions for heat protection. Bakersfield, CA. Courtesy of Rich Hoffman, Santa Maria Seeds
