The Onion House sees transition between deals
After Mexico and Texas volume fades and a slow period in July, Weslaco, Texas-based The Onion House LLC will start with intermediate onion varieties out of Olathe in western Colorado the last week of August, said Don Ed Holmes, owner.
By early May, Holmes said the company’s Mexican deal was close to done, except for active shipments of white onions from Chihuahua, which will continue into June.
The firm’s Texas white and yellow onions were slowly winding down in May, he said.
Related reading: Retailers can capture consumer excitement for onions
U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, through May 1, revealed that Mexico’s season to date shipments of onions totaled 287.2 million pounds, up from 196.5 million pounds through the same time a year ago.
Texas onion shipments, season to date, totaled 72.4 million pounds, off from 164.8 million pounds through the same date a year ago.
Demand for Mexican and Texas onions was good this year, but the lingering volume of Northwest storage onions perhaps did not allow the market to be as strong as growers hoped, Holmes said.
Related reading: Onion consumption on the rise
“We were better than a year ago, no doubt, but everybody hoped for a little better prices." Truck supplies also inhibited demand, Holmes said.
Freeze damage in Texas created early quality issues, but mid-season and later season varieties fared much better.
“We have had really good quality at the end of the season here,” Holmes said.
Related reading: The latest news from The Packer on onions.
