News and Stories

Due to rain showers and heavy thunderstorms being forecast through the week, Markon First Crop (MFC) shipments out of the Rio Grande Valley (southern tip of Texas) will be sporadic. Should weather interfere with available supplies, orders will be moved to Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. MFC onions will be available through early May, out of the Northwest, and Texas shipments are forecast to run through mid-May. Full harvesting will begin in Imperial Valley, California next week; light shipments are already beginning later this week.

As a general reminder, fresh-run onions that are shipped out of California, New Mexico, and Texas possess flakier skins, spongier texture, and lighter color compared to Northwest storage onions; see attached pictures.  

Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington

• Storage supplies of MFC Onions will diminish by early May
• MFC Red and Yellow Onions will be shipped through early May
• Packer label white stocks will be available until the end of this month
• Expect lower quality in storage shipments
• Growers predict more translucent scales in yellow varieties than in years past, due to the hot weather during the summer growing cycle
• Internal decay, occasional mold, and sprouting are anticipated this time of the year, especially in red onions

Mexico

• Packer label red, yellow, and white onion varieties are crossing the border and shipping out of Texas
• Due to inconsistent weather patterns scattered throughout growing regions, supplies remain sporadic
• Overall acreage is comparable to recent seasons

South Texas

• MFC Yellow and Red Onions are sporadic due to weather
• Early estimates indicate planted acreage is approximately 20% lower than last year; this continues to be a year-over-year trend
• Texas-grown onion stocks will be available through mid-May
• As a reminder, a Texas state marketing order prevents the shipment of No. 2 grade onions; Markon will continue sourcing No. 2 grade onions from the Northwest until the Southern California season starts later this month

California

• MFC Yellow Onions will become available the week of April 25; MFC Red Onions will be on the market the week of May 2; light supply of packer label reds next week
• Southern California acreage is comparable to previous years
• Yields are anticipated to be higher than last year

New Mexico

• MFC Onions will become available the week of June 6
• Markon will update overall acreage levels in the upcoming weeks 

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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