Interest from foreign buyers has contributed to a strong market for onions this season. With last season's West Coast port disruptions no longer an issue, onion shippers from the Pacific Northwest are looking forward to a good marketing season.
“We're seeing strong interest from Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Central America, so that's really helpful for our marketing,” said Jason Walker of Bybee Produce in Prosser, Washington. “Demand seems to be getting stronger every day.” Last year, the port situation on the West Coast limited the amount of onions shippers sent to Asian markets, but that's not an obstacle this time around. Additionally, Asian buyers are not buying as much Chinese product as in years past.
“Korea normally buys from China, and while they continue to do that, those buyers are now looking more our way,” said Walker. Plenty of heat in the Pacific Northwest has affected supplies, and while this year's crop won't be down significantly, it's another factor that's strengthening the market.
“We're very optimistic about the next eight or nine months of our season,” said Walker. “I think there's going to be good pricing, good demand, and I'm just very optimistic for the remainder of the season.”
