Onion producers in southern New Mexico are addressing water shortages with changing agricultural practices. “Because the drought has forced a big curtailment in water allotments to farmers in southern New Mexico’s Mesilla Valley, they’ve had to make up that shortfall with groundwater,” said Katie Goetz, public information officer for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. “That’s intensified the soil’s available salt. More broadly, growers continue refining their cultural practices, switching to drip, etc., in order to maintain/increase yields.”Officials from New Mexico State University inspect clipped onions. Conditions during the 2015 production season were mild, and the shipping season began early. (Photo courtesy of New Mexico State University)

Production is primarily concentrated in Doña Ana, Luna, and Sierra counties. “New Mexico growers are working to meet the growing demand for reds and whites, in addition to providing the yellow onions that are mostly grown here,” she stated. “Researchers and seed producers continue working to develop new varieties, particularly reds and whites.”

Goetz said conditions during the current season have been mild. “It's been a warm spring,” she continued. “The shipping season started [in early June] and will run through late August for the most part, although some sheds usually ship through mid-September.”

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture is home to a fruit and vegetable inspection program, which Goetz said promotes product quality while easing the movement of New Mexico onions into domestic markets as well as export destinations in Mexico and Canada. “Also, NMDA works with the New Mexico Dry Onion Commission to promote the state’s crop during events like the Produce Marketing Association trade show in October,” Goetz added.

Onions are among New Mexico’s top 10 cash-producing crops. Last year, New Mexico produced approximately 306 million pounds of onions.

On June 12, the National Potato & Onion Report provided data about the 2015 New Mexico onion crop movement. The report stated that demand was moderate, and the red market was slightly lower while others were about steady.

Pricing for yellow Grano 50-pound sacks of super colossals was $17-18; colossals were $16-17; jumbos were $15-16, with a few reported at $14; and mediums were $10-11.

Fifty-pound sacks of jumbo white onions sold for $15-16, and mediums sold for $14-15. Twenty-five pound sacks of Red globe jumbos sold for $13-14, and mediums sold for $11-12.

On June 12, the National Potato & Onion Report showed a total of 1,268 truck movements for the onion season to date. That number was ahead of movements for the same time last season.

This past January, the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture NASS issued its report, Vegetables 2014 Summary. According to the report, growers planted a total of 5,200 acres to summer non-storage onions in 2014, and harvested 5,100 acres. Yield per acre was set at 600 hundredweight, and production level for 2014 was set at approximately 3 million hundredweight. The price per hundredweight in 2014 was set at $18.70, and the value of production was $57.2 million.