MARKET
New York:
Michelle Gurda with A. Gurda Produce in Pine Island told us on Oct. 2 that Gurda’s demand ranges from slow to steady this week. “Demand for reds is good, and pricing hasn’t changed much, but the yellow market has really fallen off, thanks to Canada,” Michelle said. ‘Canada does this to us every year, and they are bringing across onions that are delivered lower than ours, which really hurts us. Luckily, we do have some legislative support looking into why these prices keep getting lower.” Michelle said that Gurda just completed harvest. “We have everything in from the field, and so far so good,” she said. “Of course we haven’t graded everything out, but from what we are seeing, quality appears to be good.” Michelle noted that transportation continues to be high. “Since the EDL rates when into effect, rates have escalated. We understand that expenses have gone up, but to get deliveries in our region, the cost is the same as if we were shipping to Florida. It’s hard to say, but it seems as though they are gouging us at times.”
Northern Colorado:
John Harris with Paradigm Fresh in Fort Morgan told us on Oct. 2, “Sorry I am off to a late start checking in this week. Quite frankly, there is nothing to update.” He continued, “This is about as slow as things get in the onion world. My opinion is that all the local items that are only available this time of year for a short period is where all the market share is. Sweet Corn, the last of the melons, peppers, green beans, tree fruit, things of that nature are capturing the end of their seasonal markets.” John added, “In the coming weeks as temps drop, it’ll be stew and crock pot time and things will kick off once again.” And, “Canadian Thanksgiving is in two weeks,” and that should help get things going as well.”
Colorado Western Slope:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in Mission, TX, told us Coal Creek Produce in Montrose, CO, continues its harvest and will start storage the week of Oct. 7. “I just got back from the West Slope, and the crop is by far one of the best quality we’ve ever had,” he said. “A late planting resulted in a shorter growing season and more jumbos than colossals, but David said yields are very good and quality is excellent. “We could also see a late winter start,” he said, noting the long-range forecast for October as of Oct. 1 was calling for days in the 70s and nights in the mid to high 40s. “We see only one day with the forecast of below freezing before the end of the month,” he said. The weather has been ideal for harvest, he added. “We’re seeing yields normal to above, and we’re trading the total yield and giving up a little on colossals for more jumbos.” Currently Coal Creek is shipping its sweets, and David said there are about two to three weeks left in that program. “We’re still a month away from being totally under cover.” Noting adverse weather in some other production areas, David said, “Last year we lost 50 percent of our crop. We’ll see what happens in other areas this year.” Bottom line, he said, is, “Everyone’s attitude on the West Slope is very good. We had a cold, wet spring, but we had a really good growing season.”
Idaho-E. Oregon:
Dan Phillips with Central Produce in Payette, ID, reported on Oct. 2 that Central has been harvesting storage onions for about a week. “We get dew in the morning, which causes us to get started later, but we are harvesting into the evening so we are getting it down,” Dan said. “Quality coming in on our storage stuff is looking very good. Now, demand is really not very strong this week. Yellows and reds are doing okay, but whites have really fallen off. Consequently, the market is reflecting demand.” He continued, “We are being bullish, but when demand slows down, folks try lowering the prices. When demand is off, it’s been my experience that lowering prices doesn’t really move any more onions out the door.” Dan said that transportation remains consistent. “We are having no problem getting the trucks we need to cover orders,” he said. “We are still able to book flatbeds, but we’ll see what happens when we transition over to reefers.”
Idaho-E. Oregon and Washington:
John Vlahandreas with Wada Farms reported to us from his Salem, OR, office on Oct. 2. “Demand has been sluggish this week,” he said. “I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s slow, but buyers aren’t breaking down the door to place orders.” He continued, “The market is all over the board. Larger sizes are hovering at higher prices which is good, but then again, there aren’t a lot of them out there. Pricing on jumbos and mediums is in flux, and the prices I am getting from receivers on what they have paid aren’t matching up to the quotes that are reported, so it’s hard to say what’s going on.” John added, “Quality in both regions has been good. I don’t really know what the packouts are, but for this time of year, I expect they are pretty high. We’ll wait and see on the red supplies, and as we get further into the season, we could see lower availability there.” John noted that transportation hasn’t been an issue, “except for the fact that rates are always high.” John mentioned he will be at the Wada Farms Booth 4167 at PMA Fresh Summit in Anaheim and invited everyone to stop by and say hello.
Jason Pearson with Eagle Eye Produce in Nyssa, OR, told us on Oct. 2 that Eagle Eye is working hard on storage harvest in both Washington and Idaho-Oregon. “The weather has gotten better, and we are going hard to get onions in,” Jason said. “Weather permitting, we will be on track to get everything in. Our quality has been very good.” On the demand side, Jason said this week is slow. “Demand has slowed up, and so some folks are trying to push onions out the door – and pricing on the open stuff is reflecting it,” he said. “Luckily, we have enough program business that we haven’t had to succumb to lower pricing. Yellows and reds are doing pretty well, but whites have been sluggish.” Jason noted that transportation hasn’t been an issue, and Eagle Eye has no problem getting trucks for its needs.”
California Cuyama Valley:
Robert Bell with Western Onion Sales in Camarillo said on Oct. 2, “We finished Monday. Varsity Produce will still be going in Cuyama through this month, and Rio Farms still going in the Salinas Valley. They probably will finish mid-November.” And, Robert said, the storage crop “is either on drying wall or put away and should last us until overwinter onions are ready in late April.”
Broker’s Perspective:
Rick Greener with Greener Produce in Ketchum, ID, reported for the areas he is shipping out of, which includes Idaho, Oregon Washington, Kansas and Michigan. “I hate to be a Negative Nancy this week, but I don’t think anything I have to say will be much different from everyone else,” he said. Okay, so it’s slow! We’re seeing the orders just trickle in. The first part of October isn’t usually huge for demand, so I guess this normal, but the slow demand is causing the market to be all over the board.” He continued, “Like I always say, suspenders, suspenders, suspenders. The market will probably strengthen, and we’re just waiting for it to even out and get stable. In the meantime, the growers I work with are working hard on harvest, and these storage onions look nice with good skins and good quality. Trucks are easy to get for us, but fuel costs have increased, and rates aren’t cheap.”
CROP
California:
Robert Bell with Western Onion Sales in Camarillo told us on Oct. 2 that Western Onion is preparing for planting in both the Imperial and San Joaquin Valleys. “We’re getting planters ready and finalizing seed orders for Oct. 21 start in San Joaquin and Imperial Valley,” he said. “We’re also getting seed ready to send to Arizona for our transplant needs.”
Texas Rio Grande Valley/Winter Garden/Mexico:
David DeBerry with Southwest Onion Growers in Mission, TX, told us on Oct. 1 the Rio Grande Valley crop is “about 15-18 percent planted, a week to 10 days ahead of schedule.” He added, “Winter Garden will plant in six to eight weeks,” and he said that Mexico plantings are right on schedule. “I’ve talked to everybody,” he said. “The transplants are moving to growing beds.”
Featured image: Laubacher Farms, Inc. yellow onion harvest on the Oregon Slope of Idaho-E. Oregon. Watch the video here. https://onionbusiness.com/drone-video-laubacher-farms-inc/
