Belgians sow a quarter more onions

Published Nov 21, 2024

Tridge summary

Onion cultivation in Wallonia, Belgium, has seen a significant increase, reaching approximately 2,000 hectares, a rise of 500 to 600 hectares compared to the previous year. In Flanders, the area under onion cultivation has grown by 19% to 4,411 hectares. Despite a setback in the fresh market due to a late start to the 2024 season, there has been a notable increase in the cultivation of later varieties for the industry, with a 23% growth in Flanders to 2,575 hectares, surpassing the 2021 peak. However, the season has brought challenges such as increased rainfall during ripening, leading to higher risk of bacterial and head rot, and a larger portion of greener, wetter onions. These quality issues have prompted some growers to sell their produce earlier to avoid extensive storage problems.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Based on the area figure mentioned, onion cultivation in Wallonia has increased to around 2,000 hectares. This represents an increase of 500 to 600 hectares compared to last year. In 2023, the area in this region increased by 200 to 250 hectares compared to previous years. The agency previously published figures for the onion area in Flanders. In recent months, these figures have been adjusted slightly downwards. According to the latest figures, the Flemish area has expanded by 19 percent this year to 4,411 hectares. Due to the late start of the season in 2024, the cultivation of early onions for the fresh market in Flanders has decreased by more than a third to 140 hectares. The cultivation of later varieties has increased by 18 percent to 1,215 hectares. Although there has been more demand for onions for the fresh market, the area development in Belgium this year still shows a strong increase for the industry. According to the latest figures, the cultivation of later varieties ...

Source: Nieuwe Oogst