While not every onion operation in the Treasure Valley of Idaho-Eastern Oregon reported an early planting of this year’s Spanish Sweet crop, the majority of shippers have told The Produce News their season kicked off 10 days to two weeks ahead of a normal year’s schedule.

Moreover, the shippers were also describing the onions as having adequate-to-good size and excellent quality. Triple-digit temps during the summer were followed by cooler evenings in August, allowing the storage onions to field cure.

Kay Riley, general manager of Snake River Produce in Nyssa, OR, said the 2015 harvest is the earliest he’s seen, and though sizing on the early onions was down somewhat, he expected “a lot of jumbos” as the crop continues to come in.

The Treasure Valley of Idaho-Eastern Idaho saw an early harvest this year, and shippers are reporting good quality in early onions. Storage started the 10 days of September for most of the area’s sheds, with both sizing and quality described as good to excellent. Triple-digit temps in late June and early July were followed by cooler weather. (Photo by IEOOC/Sherise Jones) From his office in Weiser, ID, Herb Haun, vice president of Haun Packing, said that operation started harvesting the first week of August, a week to 10 days ahead of most years. “So far size is average and better, and with the hot weather, the onions have cured really well, and the quality is excellent,” Haun said.

In Ontario, OR, Grant Kitamura, president and general manager of Murakami Produce, said Murakami had been shipping since Aug. 10, 10-14 days early. Kitamura said the heat in late June and early July made for good quality, and he reported a good range of sizes.

“Prices are good, and transportation is easier than last year,” Kitamura said.

Ken Stewart, sales and operations manager of Four Rivers Onion Packing in Weiser, said that although the company could have started 10 days to two weeks early, they began harvest on Aug. 24, “probably right on average.”

He added, “We decided to let them size up and get the skin get pretty.” Stewart said size profiles are “really good, with lots of 3.5-inch jumbos.”

Storage was scheduled to begin the second week of September for Four Rivers, with harvest wrapping up early to mid-October, which Stewart called “a little early.”

At J.C. Watson Packing in Parma, ID, company President Jon Watson reported an early crop with excellent quality and adequate sizing. He said Watson Packing will ship more reds this year, answering a growing demand.

Also, Watson is shipping more onions direct to retail, and the farming operation plants for that market segment with varieties “all across the size” spectrum.

Champion Produce Sales in Parma began its season early, and onions were going into storage the week of Sept. 7.

“We will be into fully cured onions on Sept. 10,” Champion President John Wong said, adding, “Our field cured will run into mid-October or early November.

Wong said the opportunity to harvest earlier came after good overall growing conditions during the summer, and the purchase of Giant Produce, now called Champion West, will allow the company to ship more product.

At Central Produce Distributors in Payette, ID, Sales Manager Dan Phillips said July was hotter than normal, and August temps were below average. Central started the season about three weeks ahead of its usual schedule, and Phillips said the early onions were coming in somewhat smaller. But he added that normal sizing is expected as the season continues.

Fort Boise Produce in Parma reported its season got underway two to three weeks earlier than normal, and Sales Manager Ashley Robertson said Fort Boise started binning on Aug. 5.

“New Mexico is starting to get out of the way,” she said in late August. “California is shortly behind.” Fort Boise onions started storage the week of Sept. 7.

“The weather is a little cooler for setting up for storage,” Robertson said.

Marc Bybee, president of Fiesta Farms in Nyssa, told The Produce News, “We had some fields of yellow and red onions that had very good size by August 10th, so we were able to start about 2 weeks earlier than average. Onions look good so far but they are of course green/fresh so they don’t yet have that golden brown skin we love, but the quality seems very good.” Bybee said storage would like start around Sept. 10.

Many shippers noted a relatively smooth transition from California and New Mexico to IEO, although Bybee said there was some overlap in the deals.

“I look for things to settle down soon and possibly improve after storage is finished,” he said. “Idaho/Oregon is 755 loads ahead as of [Aug. 26], and at this pace we could take 5-10 percent of the pressure away from season’s storage supply. That’s a big deal.”