Onion World February 2024 by Columbia Media Group

Advertiser Index Bejo .................................... 17 Chinook Equipment ............ 15 Clearwater Supply .............. 23 Gearmore ........................... 15 Gowan Seed ....................... 21 Inter Agra............................ 13 Kerian ................................. 17 L&M .................................... 22 NOA .................................... 21 Noffsinger ........................... 20

Novasource........................... 9 Novasource......................... 23 Nunhems ............................ 20 Redwood Empire ................ 15 Restrain ................................ 3 Seed Dynamics ................... 24 Seedway ............................. 11 Spudnik ............................... 15 Verbruggen ........................... 7 Western Labs ...................... 17

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ONION WORLD Volume 40, Number 2

FEBRUARY 2024

PO Box 333 Roberts, Idaho 83444 Telephone: (208) 520-6461 Circulation: (503) 724-3581

OnionWorld.net

4 NOA Takes a River Walk

ONION WORLD CONTACTS

FDA Talks Mexico in San Antonio

8 Meet the New NOA President 10 Onion World Turns 40 14 Dry Sanitizing Options

Investigating Practical, Effective Sanitizing Treatments to Reduce Cross-Contamination Risks in Post-Harvest Onion Facilities

18 Crop Protection Essentials Buyers' Guide

Editor Denise Keller editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Publisher / Advertising Manager Dave Alexander dave@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Director of Operations Brian Feist brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com

EDITORIAL INFORMATION Onion World is interested in newsworthy material related to onion production and marketing. Contributions from all segments of the industry are welcome. Submit news releases, new product submissions, stories and photos via email to: editor@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com, or call (509) 697-9436.

ADVERTISING SALES For information on rates, mechanics, deadlines, list rental, direct mail, inserts or other information, call (208) 520-6461 or email: dave@onionworld.net

SUBSCRIPTIONS U.S. $24 per year Canada $40 per year Foreign $80 per year

Subscribe online at: www.OnionWorld.net/subscribe or call (503) 724-3581.

1998: 2023 was not the first time the NOA Annual Convention visited San Antonio. From left, Ken Teramura, Marvin Ryan, Mike Kirby and John Moore accept “Three or More” awards in the Lone Star state. See more photos from the Onion World archives, celebrating our 40th anniversary, on page 10.

ON THE COVER San Antonio treats NOA Annual Convention attendees to the famous River Walk and a city ablaze with holiday lights. Read more about what was discussed at the convention on page 4.

Onion World • February 2024

DEPARTMENTS 16.... Onion Word Search 21.... Calendar 22.... Market Update 22.... Advertiser Index

Email address changes/corrections to brian@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com or mail to: Onion World PO Box 333 Roberts, ID 83444 Onion World magazine (ISSN 0892-578X), is published eight times a year and mailed under a standard rate mailing permit at Idaho Falls, Idaho and at additional mailing offices. Produced by Columbia Media Group PO Box 333, Roberts, ID, 83444. Copyright 2024. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose without the express written permission of Columbia Media Group. For information on reprints call (208) 520-6461.

STORAGE Advertorial

Restrain Names IVI Exclusive U.S. Distributor N

etherlands-based Restrain has appointed Industrial Ventilation Inc. (IVI) as the exclusive distributor of Restrain’s sprout inhibitor product for the onion market in the U.S. The ethylene-based sprout inhibitor is EPA-approved for stored onions, shallots, garlic and potatoes. The product is designed to work by continuously maintaining an extremely low concentration of ethylene gas in the storage throughout the entire storage period. The receptors in the onions will bind and release the ethylene molecules and signal a block to cell elongation, inhibiting the sprouts, according to the company. IVI will be responsible for onion product distribution throughout the U.S.

Restrain and IVI announced at the 2023 NOA Annual Convention in San Antonio that IVI will be the exclusive distributor for Restrain sprout inhibitor products in the U.S. onion market. Pictured are, from left, Emily Merk with Restrain, Ragen Darrington with IVI and Dirk Garos with Restrain.

"Using Restrain last year on late storage onions helped with dormancy and shrink." Bart Connors – Basin Gold Cooperative Restrain uses ethylene gas to suppress sprouts in storage. Ethylene gas does not leave a residue on crops or in the storage facility. This allows for immediate delivery of the crop. There is no re-entry interval (REI), it is safe for store managers and employees to be in and around the storage during treatment.

restrain.io/products/onion-storage

ivi-air.com OnionWorld.net

NOA Takes a River Walk

FDA Talks Mexico in San Antonio Story and photos by Dave Alexander, Publisher

he National Onion Association (NOA) Annual Convention, held in San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, also included attendees from the National Allium Research Conference (NARC). When NOA and NARC hold a combined convention, it’s always a busy time. Attendance more than doubles at these conferences. This time around, NARC presented 25 break-out sessions and 15 research posters. The sessions, many of them standing-room only, featured a wide variety of topics. Disease and pest management, variety breeding and production were all on the agenda. The NOA portion of the convention contained committee meetings, the general session, a field day, a banquet and crop reports. One of the featured

Mike Bowman with Nunhems (left) and Stephen W. Searcy with Texas A&M are part of a new four-year project measuring bruise impact and damage done by mechanical harvesters on all colors of onions with a goal of creating more mechanization during harvest on softer onions. Top Air, Univerco and Nicholson Machinery are cooperating on the project with Texas A&M, University of Georgia, New Mexico State University and University of California, using Techmark impact sensors.

Daniel Leskovar (far left) with Texas A&M speaks to attendees during the NOA field day.

Onion World • February 2024

speakers of the general session, Kurt Nolte, a biologist and outbreak investigation specialist with the FDA, talked about food safety concerns with Mexican onion imports.

FDA + SENASICA + COFEPRIS = FSP

If you thought that only the U.S. government spoons alphabet soup in the form of acronyms, you’d be wrong. In Mexico, SENASICA deals with agronomic health, safety and quality. COFEPRIS protects against sanitary risk. The U.S. FDA partnered with SENASICA and COFEPRIS in September 2020 and created the joint venture Food Safety Partnership (FSP) to “protect public health through the prevention of foodborne diseases in human foods.” In turned out the timing of this partnership was fortuitous, as over 1,000 U.S. illnesses were reported stemming from Salmonella in onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, in the summer of 2021. The FSP conducted inspections in Mexico, and information was obtained about specific farms that were associated with the 2021 outbreak.

Joshua Frederick with Snake River Produce accepts the Promotions Champion Award from René Hardwick, NOA director of public and industry relations.

From left, Marco Maljaars with Symach, Rutger Keurhorst with Eqraft, Mike Kooijman with Eqraft and Ryan Bennett with Northwest Onion Company enjoy a nice, sunny stop during the NOA field day.

OnionWorld.net

NOA ANNUAL CONVENTION

Seunghyun Choi with Texas A&M explains the differences between deep water culture, nutrient file technique and vertical farming irrigation techniques.

FDA investigator Kurt Nolte discusses the FDA’s efforts to prevent foodborne pathogens from entering the U.S. through Mexican commodities.

Onion World • February 2024

Gary Mayfield with Sunbelt Transplants (left) presents an NOA Lifetime Achievement Award to Greg Bennett with Northwest Onion Company. Former NOA executive vice president Wayne Mininger was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

FSP in Action

In March 2023, FSP met in Chihuahua. At this meeting, FSP communicated a unified message on the importance of food safety and of using the NOA/ International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Safety Guidelines for the Dry Bulb Onion Supply Chain best practices guidance document. The guidelines were translated into Spanish and distributed throughout Mexico to growers. “This particular document is a wellrounded, good foundation for starting food safety programs in the state of Mexico,” Nolte said. However, it was discovered at the meeting that production practices in Chihuahua are not the same as U.S. methods. Nolte wants to see the NOA/ IFPA guidelines updated to include Mexican-specific procedures. At the meeting, the SENASICA arm of FSP committed to increase the number of farms participating in a program to reduce contamination risks, and to continue to perform targeted inspections of onion growers in Chihuahua and throughout Mexico. In addition, COFEPRIS pledged to increase the number of inspections being conducted at onion packing houses.

At the Border

The FDA has initiated an increase in the use of the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), which conducts inspections on onion importers that bring product into the U.S. Also, as a result of the 2021 Chihuahua outbreak, the FDA instituted an “Import Bulletin,” conducting random increased sampling and screening for onion pathogens from product that originated from the Chihuahua growing region. This program has ended, however, and no mention was made of if or when it might be reinstituted.

on preventing outbreaks instead of responding to them, so increased grower safety training is imperative to this ideal. An onion grower association would also be beneficial for training and hopefully will be put in place soon. Future FDA plans include an “Import Alert” system. The alert would stop transportation of contaminated onions to the U.S. when there is enough evidence to indicate that a specific shipper is at fault.

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2024 and Beyond

There is not an association specifically for onion growers in Mexico. This makes getting notifications (like upcoming training) to growers slow and cumbersome. The FDA is focused

OnionWorld.net

Meet the New NOA President A

t the 2023 National Onion Association (NOA) Annual Convention in November, Jared Gutierrez took the presidential gavel from Delbert Gehrke. Gutierrez will serve as president until 2025. Onion World spoke with him about his background, his plans for the NOA and the association’s upcoming Washington D.C. lobbying trip.

What is your background? I was raised on an agricultural farm and grew up custom farming in southeast Idaho. Mainly, the first part of my life was centered around the potato industry and potato farming. That’s where I grew up understanding how to farm and learning how to farm between planting, harvesting, and storing and taking care of all of it. Our small family farm made the decision to sell and move forward. And that’s when I took a venture into Washington state, and I spent some time in the frozen food industry. Then I turned to the onion industry and quickly adapted to the program of having onions grow, mature, harvest, cure and store, as well as packaging and working in the grower/shipper part. So, I had a wide spectrum from A to Z of working around agricultural products. I’ve been most heavily involved in the onion industry, or onions in general, for part of the last decade. That’s helped me grow in the industry. My background has helped me understand more of the process from the beginning to the end – from planting and working in the soil, understanding chemistry and fertilizers that we’re allowed to use (that’s getting tougher and tougher), all the way to moving the onions and packaging them in the best way for our customers. 8

Onion World • February 2024

What are you doing now? I have ventured into a new field of work, which is related to agriculture. This is working for Volm Companies. My day is working with farmers and filling packing sheds with equipment for their products. I deal primarily in the onions, potatoes and citrus worlds. That has helped me take on my role here in managing and moving forward and progressing and having a better understanding of working with growers, with farmers, with packing shed managers, or whoever it may be doing the best job for their onions, their crop, their products.

You have a two-year term as president of the National Onion Association. What are your plans and agenda items for the next two years? My plans don’t probably sway too much from what’s happened in the last few years or several years. I want to continue moving forward with the onion industry and helping all members, especially growers, understand what the NOA does for them. It feels like there’s probably a lot of misunderstanding about what the NOA is trying to do. People have a little better insight when they attend NOA events and they see what we’re trying to do, whether it’s at the conventions or our annual Washington D.C. trip. It helps them want to move forward with the NOA. In today’s society, you have to fight for your farm. If you’re not being proactive, it’s tough to stay in business. You want to be proactive with your farm and find better ways to move your product. The NOA helps you bring networking, helps you communicate, helps you connect

with other parts of the country, learn new ideas and new thought processes, and also find new outlets for the sale of your onions. It’s to continue that movement and strengthening the association and getting members to return and getting new members.

You mentioned the Washington D.C. trip. That’s an annual trip you take. Who are you looking to see, and what are you hoping to accomplish? While we’re there, we try to meet with a number of agencies: the USDA, the USTR, the Department of Commerce, the EPA. We especially work hard to try and meet with the Secretary of Agriculture. Basically, depending on how busy his schedule is, we either meet with him or the Deputy Undersecretary of Ag. We always have success meeting one or the other, and it’s relaying our message and what we’re fighting for – things that pertain to the farms, that pertain to audits, that pertain to food safety. We also fight for foreign supplier verification. We ask that they meet our marketing orders that we have in the U.S. and that the supplier is, in fact, verified.

I know for a fact you guys have had some success in past trips and got some agenda items crossed off. Talk about that. On some past trips, we were able to meet with the Secretary of Ag, and he was able to help us with some imports coming in from other countries and in making sure that our marketing order

is upheld, that they aren’t sending a lesser quality onion into the country. Sometimes that takes place. Sometimes that happens. It’s to have those verifications done. We want to have USDA inspections at the border. We have the same thing when U.S. growers ship out of the country to anywhere, especially when shipping to our neighbors to the north and south. We have to have the inspections done at our facilities and have a certificate to even cross the border. Onions won’t even cross without one. We ask for that same fair play in return to make sure that it is according to our marketing order as well as according to theirs.

Did your trip actually result in inspections being re-instated? Yes. It’s not like there weren’t some inspections, but somehow there were too many shipments coming through

The NOA selects Jared Guiterrez with Volm Companies as its new president during the annual convention in San Antonio. He will serve for two years.

without inspections or being checked at the border. And we raised that awareness and it was addressed – probably the quickest I’ve ever seen it addressed – within a couple of months. We were even able to have conference calls with the U.S. attaché from Canada and ensured of those processes. That isn’t to come down on Canadian shippers. A lot of the shippers wanted to do it correctly. They wanted a level playing field because they know that we have to do that. We don’t get a choice when the U.S. is trying to ship to another country. There’s no choice.

A lot of that helped the onion industry because if you get off-grade or No. 2 grade at a cheaper price, that affects market price, especially when it hits the Eastern Seaboard. That helps all farmers. That helps all onion growers across the country to be able to sustain a stronger market. And that stronger market helps put money in their pockets to help them survive and continue to grow. Editor’s note: This Q&A was edited for brevity and clarity. To hear the full interview, visit theonionpodcast.com.

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Onion World Turns 40 T

he National Onion Association (NOA) is the official organization representing growers, shippers, brokers and commercial representatives of the U.S. onion industry. It was founded in 1913. If you’re counting, that’s 111 years ago! For some perspective, 1913 was just one year after the Titanic sank and one year before World War I. Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated as U.S. President, and Ford started assemblyline production of the iconic Model T, which retailed for $525. One dollar in 1913 would be worth $32 today, and onions were selling for 25 cents per bushel. In the spirit of the 40th anniversary of Onion World, and since this issue covers the 2023 NOA Annual Convention, we couldn’t think of anything better than raiding the archives for old NOA convention photos from 20-ish years ago. If you have an old photo that you think would be perfect for upcoming 40th anniversary issues, email it to editor@ columbiamediagroup.com. Enjoy this walk down memory lane. 2002: Val Call and Utah onion grower Larry Chambers visit during an NOA meeting.

2003: Hula-hoopers give it a go in Fishkill, N.Y.

Onion World • February 2024

SEEDWAY_Onion World_Oct2021_Layout 1 10/4/2021 2:52 PM Page 1 2005: Clint Shock with Oregon State University speaks at the Ontario, Ore., field day.

Your Acres. Your Livelihood. Our Priority.

2004: Lynn Fagerberg with Fagerberg Produce hosts an NOA field day north of Denver.

2002: Delbert and Beth Gehrke enjoy the NOA convention in Ogden, Utah.

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2002: NOA members participate in a field day at the annual convention in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico.

2004: Wayne and Ardith Mininger, Julie Kerr and Robert Sakata attend the 91st meeting of the NOA in Denver.

Onion World • February 2024

2003: Stan VanSingel checks onions being packed during a field day in Fishkill, N.Y.

Be a part of history. Advertise in our Anniversary Issues.

Email:

Dave@ColumbiaMediaGroup.com Special rates available. OnionWorld.net

Dry Sanitizing Options Investigating Practical, Effective Sanitizing Treatments to Reduce Cross-Contamination Risks in Post-Harvest Onion Facilities By Joy Waite-Cusic, Sasha Nerney, Jason Racine and Sam Kilgore, Oregon State University

he Salmonella outbreaks linked to dry bulb onions in 2020 and 2021 led to initial high-volume product recalls. During the outbreak investigations, these recalls were expanded due to cross-contamination concerns between production lots. When recalls are issued for processed foods, their scope is often limited due to the implementation of a master sanitation schedule and sanitation standard operating procedures within the manufacturing facility. These scheduled wet cleaning and sanitizing procedures establish “clean breaks” between production lots, minimize crosscontamination risks and support clear decisions about recall scope.

Post-harvest handling facilities that handle raw agricultural commodities typically manage the hygiene of their facilities following basic housekeeping procedures. For specific crops, like onions, it is imperative to keep the postharvest packing areas dry to minimize the opportunity for microbial growth. In these facilities, basic housekeeping procedures focus on dry cleaning (e.g., sweeping, vacuuming) and fail to meet FDA’s expectations for a “clean break.”

Evaluating Dry Sanitation Options

Oregon State University (OSU) researchers Joy Waite-Cusic, Stuart Reitz and Jovana Kovacevic have

Researchers evaluate the efficacy of UV-C treatments on food contact surfaces.

Onion World • February 2024

teamed up to investigate practical and effective dry sanitizing procedures that could be implemented by the onion industry to reduce the risk of crosscontamination between production lots. The Washington State Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is providing funding to support the evaluation of several dry sanitization options. Dry chemical sanitizers – specifically, alcohol-based and alcohol-quaternary ammonium compound combination products – were the initial focus of this research. Ongoing outreach with the onion industry identified interest in novel dry sanitation technologies, including UV-C and cold plasma (ionized hydrogen peroxide). These sanitizing approaches are being

OSU graduate student Sasha Nerney prepares to test a cold plasma device as a means of sanitizing food contact surfaces.

evaluated for their effectiveness against Salmonella on a variety of food contact surfaces present in onion facilities (e.g., plastic, wood, rubberized belts). The efficacy of sanitizers will also be determined for potential surrogate bacteria, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecium, to support later studies in commercial environments. The efficacy of sanitation treatments will be coupled with pathogen prevalence estimates from various field trials and microbial transfer data collected by the OSU team as well as data shared by Linda Harris and Nitin Nitin at the University of California, Davis. This combination of data will be used to create an interactive model to estimate risk reduction by comparing current practices with the implementation of various dry sanitation options. The goal is to have this model ready for a pre-meeting food safety workshop at the Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association Conference in Kennewick, Washington, in November 2024.

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Onion Word Search

This material is provided courtesy of Lidia Komondy, Ph.D. candidate, Department of Entomology, Cornell University.

Answers on page 20

Onion World • February 2024

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Crop Protection Essentials

Buyers' Guide

JH Biotech • jhbiotech.com/chelation-and-mineral-nutrition Biomin

Biomin is a line of fully chelated plant nutrients resulting from the chelation of mineral nutrients with amino acids. These chelates protect the nutrient from combining with other elements or losing nutrient value for absorption. JH Biotech’s Biomin chelated line is OMRI, CDFA and WSDA organic certified and is compatible with humic and fulvic acid products. Without using harsh chemicals, it provides plants with stable nutrients, balancing mineral deficiencies more quickly than conventional inorganic nutrients. It can be used for soil and foliar applications without compromising environmental quality and safety. Biomin may be applied to all crops and turf. It reduces the effects of saline soils, water deficiency and weather conditions while encouraging increased yield, homogeneous ripening, more flavored and high quality fruit, and greater nutrient absorption.

Nichino America, Inc. • nichino.net Torac Insecticide

Torac insecticide controls thrips in onions and other bulb vegetables (Crop Group 3-07). The active ingredient in Torac, tolfenpyrad, works by blocking cellular respiration and is effective on immature and adult stages of thrips. Because Torac causes rapid cessation of feeding in the pest, it also aids in reducing the transmission of Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV). Torac belongs to the METI (Mitochondrial Electron Transport Inhibitor) class of compounds and is an IRAC Group 21A insecticide. Torac is an excellent rotational option to manage resistance in spray programs for onions. For effective resistance management, Torac should be used in rotation with insecticides of different modes of action.

NovaSource • novasource.com/en/prep-and-protect-sectagon Sectagon

Onion growers shouldn’t just fumigate their onion fields; they should add a nutritional boost with Sectagon K-54. Sectagon K-54 acts as a fungicide, herbicide and nematicide all in one, with two special nutrients: elemental sulfur and potassium. Growers facing high pH soils or planting sodium-sensitive crops, like onions and potatoes, can benefit from this added nutrition as it lowers soil pH and facilitates more efficient use of micronutrients.

Onion World • February 2024

Restrain • restrain.io Ethylene Sprout Control & Seed Treatment

Restrain is the manufacturer of a unique generator that converts ethanol into ethylene gas for the control of sprouts in onions and potatoes. Used in over 40 countries, the technology has been proven effective to control sprouts in long-term storages. The process is safe for storage managers, leaves no residue and is an effective sprout control for onions, potatoes, shallots and garlic.

Summit Agro USA • summitagro-usa.com Regev

Regev fungicide is the first hybrid product that combines the disease control activity of botanical and conventional chemistries. Combining tea tree extract with difenoconazole, Regev gives onion producers a very effective disease control tool, while reducing chemical usage and providing effective resistance management control. With preventative, anti-sporulant and curative activity, efficacy against many bacterial and fungal diseases, plus the ability to enhance plant growth and yield, Regev provides significant value to growers. Regev is not yet registered for use in California.

Terramera • terramera.com/rango Rango

Growers can combat thrips and ensure a thriving onion crop with Rango, a triple-action biopesticide that stands out in pest control. With over 150 bioactives, including azadirachtin, Rango ensures effective control against thrips, worms, mites and other pests. Boasting multiple modes of action and no known disease resistance, this EPA-registered and OMRI-approved solution is formulated in the U.S. What sets Rango apart is its versatility, offering comprehensive disease, insect and mite control in one jug. It’s a proven solution for fungal diseases and managing both sucking and chewing insects across various life cycle stages. With multiple modes of action, including insect growth regulation, anti-feedant properties, molting disruption and repellency, Rango is an ideal tank mix and rotation partner for resistance management. Users can benefit from a zero-day pre-harvest interval, four-hour re-entry and application flexibility, making Rango a go-to choice for effective pest management.

Vive Crop Protection • vivecrop.com/averland-thrips Averland FC

There are new insecticides and control methods that are making thrips control easier. One of these is Averland FC from Vive Crop Protection. This product is a translaminar insecticide/miticide/ nematicide that is perfect for in-season thrips control. Built with Vive’s patented Allosperse Delivery Technology, Averland FC can be seamlessly mixed with liquid fertilizers, foliar feeds, micronutrients and other crop inputs without causing any tank mix issues for an easier and more efficient in-season application. This flexibility allows growers to easily apply liquid fertilizer, knock down weeds and spray for thrips all at the same time with no issues. In any successful thrips control program, a need for multiple modes of action is essential. Adding Averland FC to this rotation will allow for better thrips control while also increasing the efficiency of the application. OnionWorld.net

ONION WORD SEARCH ANSWERS (FROM PAGE 16)

Onion World • February 2024

CALENDAR

Feb. 6

Idaho-Malheur County Onion Growers Association Annual Meeting Four Rivers Cultural Center Ontario, Ore. Sarah Freeman, (208) 888-0988 or sarah@amgidaho.com

Pacific North West

New Mexico

Feb. 7

Brian Haddon, Area Manager (971) 282-2884

Western Labs Lecture Hall Parma, Idaho (208) 649-4360 westernl@westernlaboratories.com

Russ Brown, Area Manager (559) 799-0799

Clegg Smith, Area Manager (956) 340-0022

Imperial Valley & Yuma AZ

Florida, Georgia & the Carolinas

Western Labs Onion School

Feb. 13

Utah Onion Association Winter Meeting Bridgerland Technical College Brigham City, Utah Mike Pace, (435) 695-2542 or mike.pace@usu.edu

San Joaquin Valley

Scott Richards, Area Manager (928) 580-2484

Greg Patti, Sales Rep. (575) 202-2250

Texas

Derek Levy, Sales Rep (912) 433-4752

831-679-1900

www.gowanseed.com P.O. Box 190 • Chualar, CA 93925 25445 Chualar River Road • Chualar, CA 93925

June 25-29

NOA Summer Convention Sheraton Anchorage Anchorage, Alaska www.onions-usa.org

Editor’s note: To have your event listed, please email Denise Keller at editor@columbiamediagroup.com. Please send your information 90 days in advance.

ONION

WORLD E-News

Industry news to your inbox: onionworld.net/ e-news-sign-up

Help make a difference in Washington D.C. NOA members are all welcome to join the NOA’s annual Washington D.C. Fly-In to help us make a difference in ag policy by promoting better ag understanding. Membership is easy. Call the NOA at (970) 353-5895 or download a membership brochure at: www.onions-usa.org/members/membership

OnionWorld.net

MARKET UPDATE

Hurricane Hilary Blows in Unexpected Highs By John Harris, Founder, Paradigm Fresh Inc.

2023

is in

the rearview mirror, and what a finish to the storage crop season! It was a pretty lackluster start to the season with yellow FOBs well below cost of production until the tail end of November. The white and red markets managed to hold their own, with decent markets along with decent movement. Then December showed up and all the fun started.

The National Onion Association Annual Convention kicked off on Nov. 29, and things were pretty normal for a week after Thanksgiving. It was busy, but nothing seemed out of place. Volume and pricing picked up at the end of the week, and it gave all of us at the annual meeting something to discuss and be hopeful for going into the Christmas holiday. What was to come was not anticipated, certainly not by any of the many people I had conversations with at the convention. In hindsight, the signs were all there and the writing was on the wall of what

Onion World • February 2024

was in store. When markets like this happen, they are usually expected to a certain degree, but it seems like there is usually some sort of event that must help kick-start the momentum in some way. In years past, when the storage market gets hot, the Christmas and New Year’s holidays are oftentimes the catalyst to get things started. With a lack of trucks and packing days for two weeks, and people spending time with their families and out of the office, the new year usually begins with an uptick of buying, momentum is created, and up and away the market can go. This seems to happen once every five to eight years. The last big upswing we had in the storage market was the COVID shutdown and panic buying. I don’t care to relive those memories, but that market resembled December 2023 to some degree. The kick-start this time around was Hurricane Hilary. We all knew it happened and shippers in Idaho and Eastern Oregon lived through its untimely rains during harvest. The fuse was lit in August, and somehow, the industry missed it. Mexico uses between 75 and 85 truckloads of No. 1 onions on a daily basis. That’s far

less than U.S. consumption. What was overlooked is that many crops in Mexico were destroyed or damaged by the storm. The Mexican onion production that was destroyed by the hurricane in August would have been ready for harvest in late November. When that domestic Mexican product was not available, they turned to the U.S. market – and in a big way and fast. Mexico had been buying all season in some volume and this isn’t new, but the intensity and volume which ensued at the end of November and first week of December were unexpected, and away the market went. The market on yellows nearly doubled over a week’s time. The white market went from $14 FOB to $20 FOB to $30+ FOB in two weeks. Nevada went from $20 to $50 in two weeks. Reds had a slow, steady climb that made it a bit easier for buyers to adjust. What came as the biggest shock to me was just how incredibly tight supplies were on a daily basis. I have lived through my share of $50 white markets and recordsetting markets on yellows and reds, as well. One thing that seemed different this time around was just how hard it was to stay ahead. We were putting orders on the books six to 10 days before they shipped just to have a place in line, and this was consistent across the industry in the West. Buying was at a fever pitch and supplies were as tight as I have ever seen in my years on the sales desk. It’s hard to say what this market holds as we go into February and Mexican imports head our way. My market outlook will be on onionworld.net bi-weekly for anyone interested in taking a look. To conclude for now, we have a very manageable crop to finish the storage season. I’m hopeful that we can maintain consistent movement and an above average market as we finish the storage season and transition to fresh crop onions in the late spring.

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OnionWorld.net

Gowan Seed Company Chualar, California 831.596.1900

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