New Mexico onions saw price jump, volume decline in 2022
New Mexico onion shippers enjoyed a good price year in 2022 compared with 2021, USDA data shows.
The USDA reported the season-starting fob price for New Mexico onions was $17.42 per carton for the week of June 4 last year, up from $10.88 per carton on June 5, 2021. The season-ending reported price for New Mexico onions in 2022 was recorded at $20.69 per carton on Aug. 30, up from $11.31 per carton at the same time the previous year.
The higher onion prices were accompanied by lower volume, according to USDA truck shipment stats.
New Mexico truck shipments of onions totaled 326.6 million pounds (8.17 million 40-pound cartons) in 2022, down 26% from 440 million pounds (11 million cartons) in 2021 and down 22% from 415.3 million pounds (10.4 million cartons) in 2020, the USDA said.
In 2022, New Mexico onions were shipped from May into October, with peak volume in June and July.
New Mexico accounted for 8.3% of U.S. onion shipments for all of 2022, with the state holding a 41% share of U.S.-grown volume in June and a 45% share of U.S.-grown volume in July, according to USDA statistics.
Average weekly fob prices for 2022:
6/4/22 |
$17.42 |
6/11/22 |
$17.63 |
6/18/22 |
$17.56 |
6/25/22 |
$17.63 |
7/2/22 |
$18.44 |
7/9/22 |
$19.75 |
7/16/22 |
$20.88 |
7/23/22 |
$20.44 |
7/30/22 |
$19.56 |
8/6/22 |
$19.75 |
8/13/22 |
$20.69 |
8/20/22 |
$20.69 |
Source: USDA