By mid-April, the European import season for New Zealand onions is usually in full swing. This year, though, there were record harvests in Europe, especially in the Netherlands and Germany. That has dampened those imports considerably. “Until week 14, 27,000 tons were exported to the EU. That’s the lowest export volume in the past six years,” begins Andrea Candiano of Dutch company Van der Lans International.

He says the New Zealanders anticipated this market situation in time, though. “During discussions at Fruit Logistica in Berlin [in February], it was already clear to them that exports to Europe were going to be challenging. So, they sold a lot of onions to Japan (size 70-80) and Indonesia (size 50-60). That somewhat eased the pressure on inventory and growers.”

© Vanderlans International
Chilean onions

Importing from four countries
Van der Lans International, a well-established onion importer, decided, despite the tricky European market, to start its import season with the same volumes as last year. “We have a strong position in that market and would like to maintain it. That’s why, this year, we’re once again importing onions from four countries – New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Chile – to serve our customer base,” says Andrea.

“We’ve been importing onions from our partner, Balle Bros in Pukekohe, New Zealand, for many years. That’s a large family-run business with several farms on both the North and South Islands. This year’s onion harvest in New Zealand went smoothly, with no issues. The main harvest began in January 2026 as planned; rain in December caused a brief delay but, in the end, boosted the crop’s growth.”

“We started the season early because the first onions arrived three to four weeks earlier. There are so many competitively priced red onions in Europe that we deliberately reduced our imports of those from New Zealand. We’re currently focusing on importing yellow onions from there. New Zealanders benefit from not having to pay import duties under the free trade agreement. That gives those growers and exporters an advantage of about 9.6%,” Andrea explains.

“This year, however, that’s hardly beneficial, partly due to freight prices rising so sharply. It’s a generally challenging start to the season. We’re receiving both 25 kg bags and big bags. The 25kg bag sales are stable, with the big bag sales slowly picking up. There’s trading, but mainly on a spot basis. That’s understandable, since the major retail programs don’t really kick off until late May/early June. Our long-term partner, Jonika, stores our imported onions. Their expertise and advanced storage and sorting techniques guarantee optimal onion quality.”

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New Zealand onions

Many onions from Chile, white ones from Australia
This year, Van der Lans International is getting even more onions from Chile than last year. Most of those arrive in 25 kg bags. “We’re receiving a decent volume, which we mainly sell on the wholesale market. Australian white onion imports are going well, too. Italian onions have lower quality, so the ones from Australia compensate nicely for that,” Andrea continues.

“This year, Europe has a record onion harvest, with only Spain having lower production. Many other countries realized considerable yields. At the moment, most Dutch onions go to the United Kingdom and Spain. So, for now, there’s minimal movement in the market. There was a brief surge in demand when Brazil entered, but yellow onion prices are pretty much stagnant at present.”

“The red onions are having an even harder time, thanks to significant European cultivation expansion. Germany usually enters the market for Dutch red onions in November or December, but that has yet to happen. That will, undoubtedly, impact the import season from New Zealand and Egypt. That’s why we got very few red onions from New Zealand this year. We’re waiting to see how the Egyptian season plays out, but there should still be good Dutch red onions available in May,” says Candiano.

Import onions differ from European onions
“We’ll have to see how the yellow onions’ quality holds up in the next while. There are inferior batches, but good onions are still available. However, European onions remain a different segment from imported onions. We can, thus, cater to a specific group of customers who like starting with new onions early in the season, though we don’t expect the really large volumes until late May or early June. It’s also worth noting that Dutch onions’ storability may come under pressure this year.”

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Cultivation in New Zealand

“Harvesting was done three to four weeks earlier than usual, effectively stretching out the storage period. That, and rising outdoor temperatures, could lead to internal sprouting. Against that backdrop, it’s interesting to look at this season’s relatively low export volume from New Zealand, with approximately 27,000 tons destined for Europe. That volume usually corresponds to about one week of exports from the Netherlands. If this situation persists, that may well not be enough to supply the European market from late May to mid-July,” Andrea concludes.

For more information:
Vanderlans International
Gerrit van der Veenlaan 18
3743 DN Baarn
Tel: +31 (0)35 642 26 22
[email protected]
www.vanderlans.com