Despite Egyptian imports, onions remain expensive in Europe

Onion stocks are decreasing in Europe, but it is not easy to get imported goods. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have banned exports for the next few months, and due to the drought in Argentina and the rains in New Zealand, less goods may arrive from the southern hemisphere, and at most European imports from Chile may increase. Shipments from Egypt are also only now leaving for Europe. "We are starting to deliver the early onion varieties now, followed in April by the later-ripening red and yellow-skinned varieties. The production area has not changed since last year, so the amount that can be sold has not increased either," says Ralph Nakhal, CEO of Tomna Farm in Egypt, which mainly specializes in the cultivation and export of garlic. In the last season, the profitability of red onion cultivation was not adequate, so several producers in the country modified the sowing structure in favor of garlic. Tomna also only slowly and cautiously expands the red onion ...