Posts Tagged “Idaho-Eastern Oregon onion shipments”
Idaho-Eastern Oregon onion shippers are comparing this season’s shipments to the short crop of a year ago.
Treasure Valley yields are down due to unfavorable weather conditions during planting as well as continuing heat during the growing season. Still, the trade is report very good quality and sizing with onions now in storage.
Fort Boise Produce in Parma, ID, notes onion sizes have alot of mediums, with fewer jumbos, but the product looks very good. However, yields off by about 20 percent of normal.
Weiser Onion Produce in Weiser, ID, finished putting onions into storage in early October, reporting the short crop affects all varieties.
At Snake River Produce In Nyssa, OR, the company’s growers faced weather challenges of rain, wind, and cool temps from April to June. Then in July Mother Nature hit the area with extreme heat and high winds. Still, the operation maintains growers came through with a manageable crop which has produced great yields and quality.
Eagle Eye of Nyssa, OR reportsadequate supplies of jumbos and mediums. The earlier part of the season was seeing limited volume of colossals and super colossals, but sizing was expected improve as the season continued.
At Owyhee Produce in Nyssa, OR, the operation reports lower yields from a normal year.
A big part of the U.S. onion shipments originate from Idaho and Oregon.
Idaho harvest onion acreage in 2021 was reported at 10,900 acres, the same as 2020 but up from 8,400 acres in 2018.
Oregon’s harvested onion acreage in 2021 was reported at 21,800 acres by the USDA, up 7% from 20,300 acres in 2020 and up 13% from 19,300 acres in 2018.
In 2021, Idaho onions accounted for 15% of all U.S. onion shipments reported by the USDA, while Oregon commanded a 13% share of all U.S. shipments.
Idaho onion shipments were reported in all months during 2021, but the heaviest shipments were reported from September through April.
Domestic truck shipments of Idaho onions totaled 11.24 million 50-pound bag equivalents in 2021, with export truck shipments reported at 478,000 bags.
Idaho’a piggyback onion shipments were reported at 4,000 50-pound bags, while rail shipments of Idaho onions totaled 1.98 million 50-pound bags.
Oregon’s domestic truck shipments of onions totaled 9 million bags in 2021, while export truck shipments of Oregon onions were reported at 904,000 bags. As with Idaho, Oregon onion suppliers shipped during every month of 2021, with the heaviest volume from September through April.
Oregon’s piggyback shipments of onions in 2021 totaled 70,000 bags, while rail shipments of Oregon onions tallied 1.87 million bags, according to the USDA.
Fewer loadings are seen this season by Idaho-eastern Oregon onion shippers due to weather factors.
Snake River Produce of Nyssa, OR reports good supplies of all onion sizes, but the hot weather had a negative impact on yields.
The Idaho-Eastern Oregon onion growing region experienced temperatures hovering at or above 100 degrees beginning in late June. Combine the heat with a very dry and windy spring, yields are expected to be down from 2020.
Owyhee Produce of Parma, ID reports yields being down in the Treasure Valley significantly from both last year and the 5-year average.The company expects to be down 20% from its 5-year average, which would be off 30% to 40% from last year. Last year’s yields were 20% above normal.
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Light loadings of onions from Idaho and Eastern Oregon got underway in mid August and as diggings progress, shipments of storage onions are now going on.
Haun Packing of Weiser, ID cites nearly ideal weather and growing conditions resulting in an excellent quality onion crop this season. Some growers began harvest in July and full harvest throughout the region was underway by mid to late August.
RPE of Bancroft, WI ships red and yellow onions out of the region for a couple of growers and notes the season is on schedule.
Baker & Murakami Produce Co. of Ontario, OR points out the 2019 season was a rough one due to adverse weather, then onion loadings were stymied this spring due to COVID-19. The company sees a lot of uncertainty is shipments for the next 8 to 10 months because of the pandemic.
Wada Farms of Idaho Falls, ID notes onions in the Treasure Valley are looking great due to ideal weather and a bumper crop is expected. Shipments should continue into April.
Snake River Produce Co. LLC of Parma, ID ships onions from August until April and is optimistic about the shipping season. Similar views also came from Eagle Eye Produce of Idaho Falls, ID, as well as ProSource Inc. of Hailey, ID.