Heat the great unknown for 20/20 onion production
Heat the great unknown for 20/20 onion production
Tom Wason, president of 20/20 Produce in Heyburn, ID, said heat has taken some toll on onion production this season. “So far, [the crop is] looking more mature than normal,” he told The Produce News in early September. “The heat definitely had some impact, with 70 days over 90 degrees and 13 days over 100 degrees. So currently, reviews are some fields are looking great and others are not.”
20/20 began its harvest on Aug. 15 and expects to wrap up activity on Oct. 15. Onions are packed and marketed under the “20/20” label primarily to foodservice customers. “However, we are expanding into retail and wholesale markets,” Wason stated.
The company’s higher-volume growers have installed new sizer and sorting lines, and Wason said this will result in a higher-quality packout.