The Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee is reaching out to both domestic and foreign buyers to promote this year’s crop, says Candi Fitch, executive director.
Along with the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee’s 2022-2023 advertising campaign, Fitch said the committee will be exhibiting in September at the Americas Food & Beverage Show in Miami, Fla., and the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show in October in Orlando, Fla.
What’s more, Fitch said, the committee again will be hosting buyers on a guided visit to the Idaho and eastern Oregon onion growing region with its VIP Onion Buyers Tour. The Oct. 6-8 tour is all expenses paid for buyers selected through an application process, according to the committee website.
The tour will include stops at onion packing operations, harvests in the fields, meetings with onion sales organizations and meal functions to network with many of the area’s shippers and their staff, according to the committee website.
Export push
For export sales, Fitch said the committee has been successful in obtaining USDA specialty crop block grants the group uses for export promotions. The committee has scheduled a yellow onion promotion in Mexico this season, Fitch said.
“The grants have allowed us to attend trade missions to many countries, such as Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Taiwan,” she said.
U.S. onion exports for the period from July 2021 to June 2022 showed gains compared with the previous year. Total U.S. onion exports for the period were valued at $245.4 million, up 15% from $213.6 million in the previous year.
Here are the biggest buyers of U.S. onions, as well as the percentage change compared with the previous year.
- Canada: $167.4 million, up 25%
- Mexico: $46.9 million, down 4%
- Japan: $6.95 million, up 457%
- Taiwan: $6.79 million, up 15%
- United Kingdom: $3.73, down 14%
