“When it comes to yields, the Belgian onion market is even worse off than the Dutch market. The yields differ from plot to plot but, due to the hot, dry weather, there are many failed crops,” says Frans Cool of the wholesaler, Cool Paul. “The prices rose this week, just as they did in the Netherlands. They went from EUR0,30 to EUR00,40 per kg for large onions. These prices ease the pain a little for some growers.”
Triplets
This year's high prices are not benefiting the farmers with bad crops. "There are plots which yielded 10 tons of triplets per hectare. These do not sell well. There are also a lot of small-sized onions this year, and the quality is also not the greatest. Many batches are already or are almost germinating. This happens because they were not sprayed properly. Now, there are problems with the shipping of these onions to the African market. The onions have started splitting," continues Frans.
The South
“The Belgian market wants a few large onions. They must preferably be between 60 and 80. However, is we cannot supply these sizes, we have to get them from the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, there was more irrigation so, this year, their yields were somewhat higher and the onions a little larger,”, says Cool. “Onions are cheaper in Spain and France this year than here. This has resulted in some competition from those corners of the world.”
Carrots
The carrot yields are faring better than the onions this year. “Sales are processing at a normal rate. The market is also much more stable than the onion market. The prices and quality are good. There are, however, a few batches that were grubbed when it was too dry. This can be a disadvantage for the carrots' color and shelf life. Here, there is also competition from France and Spain. But, in general, the sales are normal,” concludes Frans.
