This is how sweet the Peruvian onion deal looks

When it’s not Vidalia season, many sweet onion growers turn to Peru to satisfy their customers, and those customers should find a good crop from South American for fall 2021 and winter 2022.

The third-largest country on this continent with an Andes mountain strip dividing coastal plains from the Amazon jungles, Peru is winning at sweet onions, U.S. importers say.

“The crop looks amazing – probably one of the best crops we’ve seen in almost 30 years in the Peruvian onion business and definitely some of the best early season onions,” said Walt Dasher, vice president of G&R Farms, Glennville, Ga. “Weather has been near perfect with no disease pressure.”

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Sizing appears consistently in the large jumbo range, averaging 3.55 inches in diameter.

Mild, sweet, large and round with flattened tops and bottoms, Peru’s sweet onions are typically available September through April, complementing the Vidalia, Ga., region’s trademarked Vidalia onions, usually shipped April through September.

However, shipping schedules may be slightly behind last year, Dasher said, but not necessarily because of a later harvest.

Blame the biggest delays on transportation and logistics.

“Port-related backups around the world have caused a ripple effect that is also putting a delay on arrivals, both being received and released, once they arrive stateside,” Dasher said. 

Still, he expects consistent volume and quality throughout the season, with organics arriving by the end of September, and both available until the Vidalia harvest is ready in spring.

Several U.S. sweet onion growers have staff and farms overseas to provide year-round sweet onions to U.S. customers.

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“Peru sweet onions are the closest in appearance and flavor profile to its more famous cousin, the Vidalia sweet onion,” according to the website of Bland Farms, Glennville, Ga. “Our agronomy staff has worked tirelessly over many years to cultivate this sweet onion in Peru.”

Bland Farms has a corporate office and onion farms in Ica, as well as more farms in Arequipa, Peru.

The Sept. 15 price was mostly $20-21 per 40-pound carton of imported Peruvian sweet onions repacked at various East Coast shipping points, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s marketing reports. On the same day in 2020, the price was mostly $24. In 2019, the price was back to $20-21, and in 2018, it was about $18 for a carton.

Shuman Farms, Reidsville, Ga., started shipping RealSweet onions from Peru in early September, said John Shuman, president and CEO.

“Quality of the crop so far this season looks very good, and sizing will lend well to bag promotions throughout the fall,” he said.

Shuman Farms also has full-time staff and infrastructure in Peru, where there was a recent update to the facility and packing house. The company installed new grading lines and sorting equipment to improve product quality and a more efficient final repack in Georgia after passing through the Port of Savannah.

Consumer research

Shuman Farms conducted consumption and purchase behavior research, finding that the average sweet onion consumer is 55 and older, living in a two-person household, with an annual income of $50,000 to $75,000. The average overall consumer eats 1.6 pounds of sweet onions per year.

When sweet onions are in a person’s shopping cart, that person is more likely to buy fresh beef, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, mushrooms and peppers, according to Shuman research.

“We encourage retailers to build cross-merchandising displays in the produce department, as well as the meat department, to take advantage of these consumer buying habits and drive incremental sales,” Shuman said.

The research showed that the top three dishes containing sweet onion are salads, beef dishes and recipes from cultures and countries outside the U.S.

Packaging and sustainability

G&R Farms has been fielding customer preferences toward bagged onions over the past several years, particularly the 3-pound mesh bag.

“I think one of the most accelerated trends in packaging is the move toward a more sustainable package that is either recyclable or biodegradable,” Dasher said. “Our packaging is made from recycled materials and is 100% recyclable.”

The company is also a member of the How2Recyle program and continues its search for ever-more sustainable packaging options. 

Shuman Farms offers retailers packaging options such as large display bins, consumer bags, display-ready containers and cartons designed to create meal solutions in the produce department, driving incremental sales.

G&R’s growers in Peru are “highly conscious of sustainability and social responsibility,” and have or work toward Rainforest Alliance certification, Dasher said.

“These kinds of efforts are not a short-term marketing ploy,” he said. “These are long-term investments in people and place that improve the entire ecosystem where we grow and do business.”