Onions
Polish onion market feels the pressure of our export
The harvest of seed onions in Poland is in full swing, when weather conditions allow. Despite a disappointing onion harvest, the market does not react significantly to this. This is all due to the import of Dutch onions, which are abundantly available.
The onion area has increased this year in Poland, as in many other European countries. A smaller harvest and high market prices prompted growers to do so. According to government data, 25,100 hectares of onions were sown and planted this year. That is an increase of 3,650 hectares or 17%. In 2022, the onion area was 20,000 hectares.
There is still some debate about the accuracy of these figures, as it is not complete. Insiders believe that the final area may have turned out slightly smaller than previously thought. It is clear, however, that a relatively large number of winter onions have been sown and planted.
Quality
After an early and smooth start with high temperatures, allowing the onions to develop well, a erratic growing season followed. This has not been beneficial for the onion crops. Persistent drought, interspersed with heavy rainfall, has resulted in very variable yields and quality this season.
This fact has led to an upward sentiment in the onion market when the harvest began. From mid-August, this movement has been somewhat tempered. According to insiders, this is mainly due to the import of onions from the Netherlands. This includes industrial onions that are processed in Poland, but also big bags of high-quality products have found their way to the country.
Dutch export
Most of the onions going to Poland from the Netherlands are not included in the KCB figures. Up to week 34, the export figure now stands at 604 tons, compared to 210 tons a year earlier. In recent weeks, the weekly volume has slightly increased to 166 tons, but it fluctuates a bit.
For Polish, sorted, and bagged onions, currently between €23 and €30 per 100 kilos is paid. That is 14% less than the multi-year average and 36% less than the price a year ago. Due to quality issues and the import of cheap onions, the market is likely to remain around this level in the coming period.
