EU-Onion crop 2017/18 not much smaller than previous year
(AMI) - Onion harvest in the EU-28, at 6.0 million T in 2017/18, will be just around 1% smaller than in the previous season. However, it must be taken into account that harvest estimates usually determine gross quantities. But not all onions were already in stock at the time of the estimate, and the lots coming in late often had quality problems. The real marketable amount is therefore likely to decline more in this season, than the crop estimate suggests. Another aspect is the different distribution of the expected harvest quantities. While in the previous season a record harvest in Spain made a significant contribution to the records crop, this season's biggest harvest in the Netherlands is pushing the EU result upwards. But while the Spaniards only export a maximum of 25% of the harvest, the Dutch export over 90%.
While the quality was excellent in the previous season, there are some question marks regarding quality and storability this year. In many areas of northwestern Europe, as well as in Poland and the Baltic States, the harvest could not be brought in in due time because of prolonged rains. In Denmark, at the beginning of November, there were still around 3,000 T in the fields, which can probably be written off. In southern Europe, on the other hand, summer onions often had to withstand temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius. Again, this raises questions about storability. The marketable amount should thus be noticeably smaller than in the previous season, the minus can easily reach 5%. However, the market-relieving effect of such constellations usually only occurs with considerable delay. Because onions, that cannot be stored always cause price pressure in autumn and early winter. (December 20, 2017)