Brazil imported 15,000 tons of product and prices remained high on the wholesale market. As a result of the lack of onion supply, Brazil had to increase onion imports in January by more than eleven times when compared with the same month last year. Brazil imported onions especially from the Netherlands and Spain.
Brazil imported 270,000 tons of onions between January and December 2015. This amount is 79.5% higher than the 150,000 tons of onions that Brazil imported in 2014, according to data in PROHORT's Bulletin, published on Tuesday (23/2) by the National Supply Company (Conab). The report, which focuses on the prices of fruits and vegetables in the main supply centers and warehouses in Brazil, shows there has been a general increase in vegetable prices. Onion prices increased by 33.9% in Vitoria (ES) and by 30.27% in Fortaleza (CE).
Prices in Sao Paulo were relatively stable as they only increased 0.07%, but these values remain above the levels recorded last year. The CONAB reported that, based on prices in the Supply Company and in Sao Paulo's General Stores (CEAGESP), the average price for onions amounted to 3.10 reais per kilo. Last year, the average price in the same month, amounted to 1.32 reais.
