According to EastFruit, a lot of onions from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and possibly other Central Asian countries have appeared on the Polish wholesale markets in recent weeks. In most cases, traders name Uzbekistan as the country of origin of onions. However, some market participants suspect that some of the onion may be of Russian origin, given the relatively low price level for this vegetable in that country.
Considering the record high prices for onions in Poland for this period of the year, it is not surprising that the country is increasing imports. Moreover, recently in Tajikistan wholesale prices for onions fell to 9 cents per kg, which is 5.5 times cheaper than in Poland.
It is interesting to note that, despite the increase in onion imports to Poland, its prices continue to maintain an upward trend. Also, onion imports from Russia presently look quite competitive in price, considering cheaper logistics than from Central Asia.
Read also: Polish farmers demand government ban on fruit imports from Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey and Moldova
According to Polish traders, Ukrainian onions are not yet visible in Poland, although there have been reports of such shipments. However, obviously, they are sporadic, and the main exports of onions from Ukraine are directed to Romania, where prices are higher than in Poland.
“Market participants expected further increase in prices for onions in the European Union and it may help Central Asian countries avoid a collapse in wholesale prices for onions of the 2023 harvest as their stocks remain unusually high and the harvest time for early onions is quickly approaching. However, for onion exporters from Uzbekistan to maintain present prices levels it is important that the rate of growth in onion prices in the EU increases soon, because at the moment costs of logistics “eat up” the bulk of the price difference while the quality of onions in the storage facilities continues to decline amid the raise of average daily temperatures,” – says Andriy Yarmak, economist at the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
According to estimates of EastFruit analysts, onion exports from Uzbekistan in the 2023/24 season will be a record high.
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