AGF-online thinks spring onions grow best on German soil. The production on Dutch soil has dropped to a minimal level. It’s not just that the Dutch sandy and clay soils aren’t optimal for the production of spring onions, the high labour cost also plays its part in the Netherlands, and that’s an important element. The production of spring onions requires a lot of manual labour. Each onion has to be manually cleaned and bunched.
AGF-online, formerly known as Van Der Mey Barendrecht, supplies spring onions year-round. “We import many of our products from Belgium, Germany and Egypt,” says Angelique van der Mey. “In Germany, for instance, the soil is much better and wages are lower. Sales in the Netherlands are different than in Germany. We have more sales options here, and everything is closer together. Every village has a greengrocer’s or wholesaler’s that you can sell products to. In Germany, you’re dealing with the major parties more. Distances are also greater, so that transport costs are higher.”
Angelique has noticed spring onions are becoming better known. “Supermarkets are selling them more and more. It adds flavour and volume, and it looks good on plates.” Caterers also know what to do with spring onions. Besides herbs, the onion is a good seasoning for every dish.
Excellent season
The season has so far been very good, according to Angelique. “The spring onions shot up during the warm spring. Last winter, we didn’t have much frost. It was cold for about two or three weeks, but it wasn’t that bad the rest of the winter. The product was hardly damaged, so supply is now good.”
During the winter months, AGF-online mostly supplies spring onions from Egypt and a small amount from Italy. “We started importing directly from Egypt last year. The spring onions go from Egypt to our garden in Germany. They’re unpacked, cleaned, shortened if necessary, and packed in the right cask or another packaging there.”
Until Christmas
The season for German spring onions starts mid-March with winter onions under plastic. “We continue harvesting, dependent on demand and quality of the products. Because the crop needs a lot of warmth and light, the spring onion usually stops growing in September or October. We once had a year when Germany experienced no frost, while supply form other countries was scarce or of poor quality. We continued until three days before Christmas then.”
The Dutch wholesaler recently rechristened itself AGF-online. “We’re still getting used to it,” Angelique says. Her father started the company in 1996. At the time, he mostly sold varieties of lettuce. In 2003, focus was changed to Germany. The import of spring onions and carrots was added then. The company now has an extensive assortment, from cauliflower to courgette and from leek to chicory. Besides supermarket chains, wholesalers and catering suppliers, companies from the processing industry are also part of the wholesaler’s clientele.
Spring onion or Welsh onion, are these the same crop? Or are they actually different crops? Maurice Deben from Bejo Zaden has the answer. “The bulb makes the difference. Allium Fistulosum is the product sold in shops as Welsh onion. This onion has a straight stem. The spring onion, or Allium Cepa, can be recognised by its bulb at the bottom of its stem. Then there’s the Allium cepa fistulosum, an in-between version. It does have a bulb, but not a very large one.”
