Onions a growth industry for New Mexico
Onions a growth industry for New Mexico
The development of a successful onion industry in New Mexico isn't a pipe dream. Interest, a sense of vision and a "can-do" attitude have turned the vegetable into a viable part of the state's annual agricultural economy.
During peak harvest periods in June and July, New Mexico supplies as much as half of all dry onions consumed in the United States during those summer months.
Land devoted to onion production in New Mexico has grown significantly. A few hundred acres were utilized for onion production in 1930, and that figure increased to around 3,000 acres by 1980.
In 2006, the National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that the state had planted 6,000 acres in summer non-storage onions, with a total of 5,500 of these acres harvested. According to NASS, each acre in 2006 produced 480 hundredweight of onions for actual production of 2.6 million hundredweight. The value of production in 2006 was $45.9 million.
During 2005, NASS reported the value of onion production at $53.6 million. During that year, 6,400 acres were actually harvested with 530 hundredweight of onions produced. This translated to actual production of 3.4 million hundredweight during 2005.
NASS has indicated that 6,500 acres were planted with summer non-storage onions in 2007, a figure that is comparable to 2005 acreage. For the week ending June 10, NASS reported that 60 percent of the onion crop had been harvested.
Fall-seeded onions are planted from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 for harvest from May 15 to June 20. Transplants are placed in the ground from Feb. 1 to March 1 and harvested from June 20 to July 10. Spring-seeded onions are planted from Jan. 15 to March 1 for harvest from July 5 to Aug. 15.
Onion production is concentrated in the Hatch and Mesilla valleys, with some production occurring in the Pecos Valley, the Clovis area and the Navajo Irrigation Project in the northwest portion of New Mexico. With the exception of the northwest growing area, all onions are for non-storage.
In a paper written by Joe Corgan and his colleague Marissa Wall of New Mexico State University's Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, several success factors for the state's onion-growing industry were noted.
"The long harvesting and marketing season is a major advantage for the New Mexico industry. It increases efficiency by increasing the number of days each year that specialized equipment and facilities are used, and it helps to stabilize labor supply by providing work over an extended period. The long season improves marketing position by providing a continuous supply, and it helps producers spread risks by averaging market price. With these advantages the industry has grown steadily since its inception in the 1930s," said the paper.
Because harvest windows are generally seven to 10 days in duration, producers must plant a number of varieties to carry them through the season. According to Drs. Corgan and Wall, most of the state's fall-planted varieties are descents of the New Mexico Early Grano, which was introduced in 1931.
A number of varieties have been introduced through the New Mexico Agriculture Experiment Station since 1980 and include NuMex-prefaced varieties such as BR1, Sunlite, Sundial, Suntop, Starlite, Dulce, Crispy, Vado, Luna, Bolo, Jose Fernandez, Centric and Casper. Last year, the NuMex Mirage was introduced. Development of these varieties has helped to drive industry development and diversity.
Dr. Corgan, who retired in 1996, helped with the development and release of 14 onion varieties from the experimental station. An important component of his research addressed variety resistance to bolting and pink root disease. Onion research has also been funded by the New Mexico Dry Onion Commission, which has been successful in promoting the state's sweet onion program, including the NuMex Starlite, NuMex Sweet and Carzalia Sweet varieties.
Research efforts continue with the production of single-centered bulbs, which can be marketed for ring processing in the future.
(For more on the New Mexico onion deal, see the June 25 issue of The Produce News.)
During peak harvest periods in June and July, New Mexico supplies as much as half of all dry onions consumed in the United States during those summer months.
Land devoted to onion production in New Mexico has grown significantly. A few hundred acres were utilized for onion production in 1930, and that figure increased to around 3,000 acres by 1980.
In 2006, the National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that the state had planted 6,000 acres in summer non-storage onions, with a total of 5,500 of these acres harvested. According to NASS, each acre in 2006 produced 480 hundredweight of onions for actual production of 2.6 million hundredweight. The value of production in 2006 was $45.9 million.
During 2005, NASS reported the value of onion production at $53.6 million. During that year, 6,400 acres were actually harvested with 530 hundredweight of onions produced. This translated to actual production of 3.4 million hundredweight during 2005.
NASS has indicated that 6,500 acres were planted with summer non-storage onions in 2007, a figure that is comparable to 2005 acreage. For the week ending June 10, NASS reported that 60 percent of the onion crop had been harvested.
Fall-seeded onions are planted from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 for harvest from May 15 to June 20. Transplants are placed in the ground from Feb. 1 to March 1 and harvested from June 20 to July 10. Spring-seeded onions are planted from Jan. 15 to March 1 for harvest from July 5 to Aug. 15.
Onion production is concentrated in the Hatch and Mesilla valleys, with some production occurring in the Pecos Valley, the Clovis area and the Navajo Irrigation Project in the northwest portion of New Mexico. With the exception of the northwest growing area, all onions are for non-storage.
In a paper written by Joe Corgan and his colleague Marissa Wall of New Mexico State University's Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, several success factors for the state's onion-growing industry were noted.
"The long harvesting and marketing season is a major advantage for the New Mexico industry. It increases efficiency by increasing the number of days each year that specialized equipment and facilities are used, and it helps to stabilize labor supply by providing work over an extended period. The long season improves marketing position by providing a continuous supply, and it helps producers spread risks by averaging market price. With these advantages the industry has grown steadily since its inception in the 1930s," said the paper.
Because harvest windows are generally seven to 10 days in duration, producers must plant a number of varieties to carry them through the season. According to Drs. Corgan and Wall, most of the state's fall-planted varieties are descents of the New Mexico Early Grano, which was introduced in 1931.
A number of varieties have been introduced through the New Mexico Agriculture Experiment Station since 1980 and include NuMex-prefaced varieties such as BR1, Sunlite, Sundial, Suntop, Starlite, Dulce, Crispy, Vado, Luna, Bolo, Jose Fernandez, Centric and Casper. Last year, the NuMex Mirage was introduced. Development of these varieties has helped to drive industry development and diversity.
Dr. Corgan, who retired in 1996, helped with the development and release of 14 onion varieties from the experimental station. An important component of his research addressed variety resistance to bolting and pink root disease. Onion research has also been funded by the New Mexico Dry Onion Commission, which has been successful in promoting the state's sweet onion program, including the NuMex Starlite, NuMex Sweet and Carzalia Sweet varieties.
Research efforts continue with the production of single-centered bulbs, which can be marketed for ring processing in the future.
(For more on the New Mexico onion deal, see the June 25 issue of The Produce News.)
