The onion beds from Olam SVI in California are approximately one metre wide with about 65 plants per square metre. It is not the only difference with this onion cultivation. The white onions, which the company grows, have an imcredibly high dry matter content of more than 25 per cent. They therefore do not find their way onto the fresh market but to more than 70 countries worldwide as a food ingredient.
Mechanical harvest
Olam SVI is part of the multinational Olam International. The company already started with its own seed breeding programme, focused on dried onions, during the Second World War. In those years the company built itself a leading position as the largest supplier of dehydrated onions, parsley and organic tomatoes. Contrary to many onions for the fresh industry, these onions are mechanically harvested and dried within a day in order to be shipped to destination markets.
The processing facilities of Olam SVI are established in Leemore and Gilroy. The company grows vegetables on an area of 20,000 hectares in total, of which 6,000 hectares is for the cultivation of onions, mostly in California. The onions are traceable from field to consumer. The company mostly works with cultivators based on a contract. Besides the onion cultivation in the US, the company has now also started with Egyptian cultivation.
