Onions still more expensive in Poland than a year ago

2021-07-27 11:21

The effects of the vegetation delay are still visible on the onion market. The supply of this vegetable remains slightly lower year-on-year, which translates into a positive difference between current prices and those of the same period last year. Not only on the fresh market.

But let us start our analysis with the fresh market. Currently, the selling prices of bagged onions in the Polish large wholesalers are most often 0.80-1.10 PLN/kg. These prices are in a downward trend, but it is not very dynamic. This is influenced not only by the above-mentioned delay, but also by the difficult weather in July.

Winter onions are slowly starting to run out and there is not much spring onion available. This delays the downward trend in prices. As a result, the current average price at the big wholesaler is around 19 per cent higher year-on-year. However, if the weather calms down and in the following weeks favours the vegetation and then the harvest of onions from sowing, then in the second half of August the supply of this vegetable will start to grow faster and prices will react to this. Although, for sure, the July rainstorms will affect both yield and quality.

An even greater difference can be seen in peeled onion prices. A year ago it was 0.80-0.90 PLN/kg, now it is 1.20-1.25 PLN/kg. This is almost 45 per cent more expensive. There are various reasons for this difference. In part, the factors described above, visible on the fresh market, are at work here. On top of that there are lower imports from Holland. There is not much onion there either, moreover the Netherlands have recently suffered some flood damage to their crops. There is therefore generally less raw material in Europe. In addition, any longer-distance transportation of onions (e.g. from Asia) is hampered by the difficult logistics situation - shortage of containers, port congestion and labour shortages.

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