Idaho-eastern Oregon onions expected to be on par with 2005 numbers
Idaho-eastern Oregon onions expected to be on par with 2005 numbers
PARMA, ID -- All indicators in late July pointed to numbers similar to those of 2005-06 for the crop harvested out of Idaho-eastern Oregon's Treasure Valley, one of the United States' larger onion- growing regions.
Industry experts agree, however, that totals will not be known until the entire crop is out of the ground. Due to late planting in some areas, harvest could run into mid- or late October.
Much this year mirrors last season, and based on figures provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Statistical Reporting Service, planted acreage is estimated at 21,700 for summer storage onions, holding to 2005 numbers. If yields are comparable, production will be close to the 13.7 million hundredweight of 2005.
"A lot will depend on how September goes," noted Lynn Jensen, potato and onion specialist for the Malhuer County office of the Oregon State University Extension Service.
On July 28, Mr. Jensen said that the 2006 crop overall has seen some heat stress, and other factors have resulted in what he termed a "mixed bag."
"It won't be a bumper crop," he said, adding that a "fair amount was planted late [due to spring rains] and will be late in harvest."
Mr. Jensen went on to say, "We have some really good fields that are coming on with good yields and good size. A lot depends on September, which we need to be warm."
July's high temperatures did stress some fields, and a quantity of bad seed also affected a small percentage of this year's crop. But Mr. Jensen said that some of the fields planted with the bad seed "have turned around and started to grow -- but we don't know if the season will be long enough for [the acres planted with the bad seed] to make a crop."
The seed was the area's predominant variety, the yellow Spanish- type Vaquero, and was inadvertently released by Nunhems into this year's market.
Ton van der Velden, crop sales manager at the seed company in Parma, ID, said July 28 that the pelletized seed, which did not germinate well, had carried over from 2005 and was accidentally released into the market.
"It was 2 to 3 percent of the total acreage," Mr. van der Velden said. "But some growers had quite a bit" of the defective seed.
Fields are generally planted in March, and Mr. van der Velden said that the situation came to light in May, when there was "no time to replant."
The seed has affected approximately 30 growers. Two are in Utah, two to three are in Colorado and two are in Washington state. "The majority are in Idaho," Mr. van der Velden said.
He noted that Nunhems is "working with the growers to compensate them, and they have been very cooperative. People are very well aware of what's going on and that it has nothing to do with genetics."
The defective Vaquero seed will be replaced with 118 pelleted for 2007, he said.
"The vast majority of Vaquero is doing great," Mr. van der Velden said. "Now we have to move on and make sure this doesn't happen again."
Mr. Jensen said that all factors combined could reduce yields by 10 percent, but he said, "There will be a lot of very good onions out of this area. Ninety to 95 percent of the crop looks very good, and we'll have a good mix of jumbos and colossals."
The 23-year veteran of the onion and potato specialty office said that he anticipates a shorter crop of super colossals, but he reiterated that much depends on the month of September.
Growers in the region were largely optimistic about the 2006 crop, with many expecting a somewhat later harvest than the normal mid-August start date.
"We had a cool spring and not a lot of heat units so far this year," said Nancy Carter of J.C. Watson in Parma, ID. "We look to start harvest in late August and ship through early April."
Ms. Carter also said, "This is my eighth season here, and so far no predictions I've heard in July and August have been accurate. [Company President Jon Watson's] father, Jim, was fond of saying, 'You really can't tell [what a crop is like] until it's all under cover." John Wong, sales manager at Champion Produce in Parma, said that his operation has "a really good crop," and he added, "We expect to have a very nice onion this fall."
Also in the Parma area, Ken Stewart of Fort Boise Produce said in July that the crop was progressing well and that the area had seen good winter moisture. Most fields were maturing on schedule, and those fields that had been planted later due to spring rains were expected to catch up as the growing season progressed.
From his Nyssa, OR, office, Garry Bybee of Fiesta Farms told The Produce News in late July that bulbs were looking good, and more heat units would help the crop along. He did say that yields are expected to be down this year, but the crop overall will be good. And according to Mr. Bybee, overall acreage planted this year was similar to 2005. An unusually wet spring delayed planting, and Mr. Bybee said that the 2006 harvest will be pushed back as a result. "The harvest could start at the end of August, but most likely September," Mr. Bybee noted. "If it's a good fall, harvest will go through October 15 or maybe a little later."
Kay Riley of Snake River Produce in Nyssa said that his growers' planting started in February and stopped temporarily on March 10, when a month-long spring rain season set in.
Planting started again on April 10 and went through May, he added.
This season, Mr. Riley expects Snake River's volume to be up 15 percent over last season, and he said that harvest will commence Aug. 20.
In Ontario, OR, Operations Manager Tim Gluch of Ontario Produce said that spring rains that delayed planting also affected his company's crop.
The rains gave way to heat, but Mr. Gluch said that onions that had been slow to size were, in late July, "coming on and peaking at the right times."
Chris Woo of Potandon Produce and Murakami Produce said that while conditions were too wet during planting time, 65 percent of the crop will be jumbos, with the remainder comprised of colossals and supers.
Symms Fruit Ranch in Caldwell, ID, is looking for an increase in its onion volume this year, according to Dan Symms, who told The Produce News that his company has "15 percent more acres in production." He added that his onion fields will be harvested beginning in October, with shipping to run through March.
Dwayne Fisher, sales manager for both Tamura Farms and P&I Produce in Idaho, said in early August that the crop needed 30 days in the field, but he added that overall the year will bring good onions.
And in Paul, ID, Mark Williams of 20-20 Produce said in early August that his growers' crops were still several weeks from harvest.
"We were about three weeks late getting planted," Mr. Williams said. "The weather in June helped, but we're still behind. The overall sizing could be down, but we do have several weeks of good growing conditions remaining."
Industry experts agree, however, that totals will not be known until the entire crop is out of the ground. Due to late planting in some areas, harvest could run into mid- or late October.
Much this year mirrors last season, and based on figures provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Statistical Reporting Service, planted acreage is estimated at 21,700 for summer storage onions, holding to 2005 numbers. If yields are comparable, production will be close to the 13.7 million hundredweight of 2005.
"A lot will depend on how September goes," noted Lynn Jensen, potato and onion specialist for the Malhuer County office of the Oregon State University Extension Service.
On July 28, Mr. Jensen said that the 2006 crop overall has seen some heat stress, and other factors have resulted in what he termed a "mixed bag."
"It won't be a bumper crop," he said, adding that a "fair amount was planted late [due to spring rains] and will be late in harvest."
Mr. Jensen went on to say, "We have some really good fields that are coming on with good yields and good size. A lot depends on September, which we need to be warm."
July's high temperatures did stress some fields, and a quantity of bad seed also affected a small percentage of this year's crop. But Mr. Jensen said that some of the fields planted with the bad seed "have turned around and started to grow -- but we don't know if the season will be long enough for [the acres planted with the bad seed] to make a crop."
The seed was the area's predominant variety, the yellow Spanish- type Vaquero, and was inadvertently released by Nunhems into this year's market.
Ton van der Velden, crop sales manager at the seed company in Parma, ID, said July 28 that the pelletized seed, which did not germinate well, had carried over from 2005 and was accidentally released into the market.
"It was 2 to 3 percent of the total acreage," Mr. van der Velden said. "But some growers had quite a bit" of the defective seed.
Fields are generally planted in March, and Mr. van der Velden said that the situation came to light in May, when there was "no time to replant."
The seed has affected approximately 30 growers. Two are in Utah, two to three are in Colorado and two are in Washington state. "The majority are in Idaho," Mr. van der Velden said.
He noted that Nunhems is "working with the growers to compensate them, and they have been very cooperative. People are very well aware of what's going on and that it has nothing to do with genetics."
The defective Vaquero seed will be replaced with 118 pelleted for 2007, he said.
"The vast majority of Vaquero is doing great," Mr. van der Velden said. "Now we have to move on and make sure this doesn't happen again."
Mr. Jensen said that all factors combined could reduce yields by 10 percent, but he said, "There will be a lot of very good onions out of this area. Ninety to 95 percent of the crop looks very good, and we'll have a good mix of jumbos and colossals."
The 23-year veteran of the onion and potato specialty office said that he anticipates a shorter crop of super colossals, but he reiterated that much depends on the month of September.
Growers in the region were largely optimistic about the 2006 crop, with many expecting a somewhat later harvest than the normal mid-August start date.
"We had a cool spring and not a lot of heat units so far this year," said Nancy Carter of J.C. Watson in Parma, ID. "We look to start harvest in late August and ship through early April."
Ms. Carter also said, "This is my eighth season here, and so far no predictions I've heard in July and August have been accurate. [Company President Jon Watson's] father, Jim, was fond of saying, 'You really can't tell [what a crop is like] until it's all under cover." John Wong, sales manager at Champion Produce in Parma, said that his operation has "a really good crop," and he added, "We expect to have a very nice onion this fall."
Also in the Parma area, Ken Stewart of Fort Boise Produce said in July that the crop was progressing well and that the area had seen good winter moisture. Most fields were maturing on schedule, and those fields that had been planted later due to spring rains were expected to catch up as the growing season progressed.
From his Nyssa, OR, office, Garry Bybee of Fiesta Farms told The Produce News in late July that bulbs were looking good, and more heat units would help the crop along. He did say that yields are expected to be down this year, but the crop overall will be good. And according to Mr. Bybee, overall acreage planted this year was similar to 2005. An unusually wet spring delayed planting, and Mr. Bybee said that the 2006 harvest will be pushed back as a result. "The harvest could start at the end of August, but most likely September," Mr. Bybee noted. "If it's a good fall, harvest will go through October 15 or maybe a little later."
Kay Riley of Snake River Produce in Nyssa said that his growers' planting started in February and stopped temporarily on March 10, when a month-long spring rain season set in.
Planting started again on April 10 and went through May, he added.
This season, Mr. Riley expects Snake River's volume to be up 15 percent over last season, and he said that harvest will commence Aug. 20.
In Ontario, OR, Operations Manager Tim Gluch of Ontario Produce said that spring rains that delayed planting also affected his company's crop.
The rains gave way to heat, but Mr. Gluch said that onions that had been slow to size were, in late July, "coming on and peaking at the right times."
Chris Woo of Potandon Produce and Murakami Produce said that while conditions were too wet during planting time, 65 percent of the crop will be jumbos, with the remainder comprised of colossals and supers.
Symms Fruit Ranch in Caldwell, ID, is looking for an increase in its onion volume this year, according to Dan Symms, who told The Produce News that his company has "15 percent more acres in production." He added that his onion fields will be harvested beginning in October, with shipping to run through March.
Dwayne Fisher, sales manager for both Tamura Farms and P&I Produce in Idaho, said in early August that the crop needed 30 days in the field, but he added that overall the year will bring good onions.
And in Paul, ID, Mark Williams of 20-20 Produce said in early August that his growers' crops were still several weeks from harvest.
"We were about three weeks late getting planted," Mr. Williams said. "The weather in June helped, but we're still behind. The overall sizing could be down, but we do have several weeks of good growing conditions remaining."
