Peru Plays Key Role in Year-Round Sweet Onion Supply

September can be a sad time for onion connoisseurs. That’s when supplies of Georgia’s popular Vidalia sweet onions wind down.

The good news for consumers, retailers and foodservice operators, though, is U.S. grower-shippers can import sweet onions from Peru during the fall/winter period that they say do a great job of filling the void until Vidalias return in the spring.

The mild, sweet flavor of Peruvian onions closely mirrors what consumers love about Vidalias, says Steven Shuman, general manager and vice president of sales for G&R Farms, Glennville, Ga.

“They come to market during the U.S. offseason, which means consumers can count on a seamless year-round supply,” he says. “And the consistent growing conditions in Peru, combined with our precision farming practices, make for a very reliable product in terms of both quality and flavor.”

Flavor is the biggest advantage of Peruvian sweet onions, agrees John Shuman, owner and CEO of Shuman Farms, Reidsville, Ga.

They deliver the same mild, sweet taste customers love about Vidalias, he says, and that means shoppers and chefs can enjoy a premium sweet onion option even when Vidalias aren’t in season.

“By keeping a high-quality sweet onion available year-round, retailers can maintain category momentum and drive sales beyond the Vidalia window,” he says.

(Photo courtesy of Bland Farms)

Growing in Peru and Mexico allows Bland Farms in Glennville to maintain a consistent, year-round supply of mild, sweet onions, says Delbert Bland, owner and CEO.
“Consumer demand for sweet onions doesn’t stop when Vidalia season ends, and our program ensures retailers can keep shelves stocked all year,” he says. “At the end of the day, it’s about meeting that demand with a product that delivers the same dependable flavor profile consumers know and love.”

(Photo courtesy of L.G. Herndon Jr. Farms Inc.)

Growers in Peru plant many of the same sweet onion varieties Vidalia growers use, but they can’t legally be called Vidalias, says John Williams, director of sales and marketing for L.G. Herndon Jr. Farms Inc., Lyons, Ga.

“They grow a really nice, sweet onion,” he says. “It’s a very good close cousin of the Vidalia.”

Peru’s near-perfect growing area is another significant plus because it provides excellent conditions for sweet onion production, says Cliff Riner, vice president of ag production and grower relations for G&R Farms.

“The climate is marked by mild, steady temperatures and sandy, loamy soils similar to those in Georgia,” he says.
And there’s not much rain during the growing window, which is ideal for cultivating sweet onions, because it reduces disease pressure and helps ensure clean, high-quality bulbs, Riner adds.

“Peru offers soil conditions very similar to what we have in southeast Georgia, which is one reason the region is so well suited for sweet onions,” he says.

The main difference between Georgia and Peru is Peru’s dry, arid climate.

“That allows us to drip irrigate and carefully manage the crop from start to finish, resulting in consistent quality and reliable yields season after season,” he says.

Size and quality of Peruvian onions from Glennville, Ga.-based Bland Farms should be very strong this year,” says Delbert Bland, owner and CEO. “Peru’s growing region offers one of the best climates for onions — very little rainfall and consistently dry conditions,” Bland says.