Later start aside, The Onion House looking at a solid Texas onion deal
Later start aside, The Onion House looking at a solid Texas onion deal
Last year Don Ed Holmes of The Onion House in Weslcaco, TX, was coming off the warmest winter he could remember in state history. This year he is coming off one of the coolest winters he can recall, aside from the freeze years of 1983 and 1989.
“Cold” of course is a relative term. While the rest of the nation shivered through weeks of frigid and sometimes devastating weather, temperatures in Texas were mild by comparison, but still an average 10-12 degrees below normal.
That was enough to delay the growth of the actual onion bulb, which is virtually dormant until the latter stages of the growth cycle.
Mexican production was delayed by cooler temperatures as well. And after an off 2013, when Mexican production declined, there has been little progress toward approaching 2012 levels and some in the deal believe Mexican production actually decreased again this season.
True to its name, The Onion House specializes in Texas’ finest. (Photo courtesy of Texas Department of Agriculture)Even more promising for Texas growers is the fact that Vidalia, GA, onion growers also experienced a much cooler winter than typical. The start of that season will be delayed by the weather and also by a new mandatory pack-and-ship date established by Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black.
The order on the books in Georgia for 2014 is that no Vidalias can be packed or shipped before April 15, which means Texas will have a nice window to itself from mid-March until Vidalia production ramps up.
It may also help that most Texas growers have again cut production — mostly because of water access — which could prop up markets. Onion House acreage will be down about 10 percent, Holmes said.
And after a late start and shorter supplies in Mexico, Holmes expects solid demand for Texas product this season. Demand for product from Idaho, Oregon and Washington state has been up and with Mexican production down, Holmes said all signs point to a solid deal and solid demand for Texas.
And with the later start date, Holmes expects to have adequate supplies of Texas onions well into May.
Two years ago, The Onion House acquired the rights to a famous brand name from Texas onion history, the “Senorita Sweets” label once held by Griffin-Brand. Salesman Chuck Hill, a longtime veteran of the industry, joined the team two years ago, driving sales along with Holmes and Steve Roach.
“Steve’s been in the business over 15 years, I’ve been in it 36, Chuck’s been in it 39,” Holmes said. “Between the three of us we bring a lot of experience to the table.”
