The British Onion Producers Association is warning that rain at harvest could lead to quality and storage problems in the UK onion crop this winter. “Overall there is sufficient good quality UK crop to satisfy demand for a full-length UK season,” said Jonathan Tremayne, chairman of the British Onion Producers Association.

“This however should not mislead anyone into thinking that the season is going to be easy; with extremely variable conditions at harvest, it is reasonable to suggest that some crops went in particularly well and others particularly badly. It is only now as stores complete the curing phase that growers are beginning to identify, in some specific crops, potential quality and storage problems directly related to the periods of rain at harvest.”

But BOPA is confident that the UK can compete well against imports on quality, service and price especially against Spanish and Chilean product, which Tremayne claims is no longer considered as mild.

The total estimated crop is some 376,000 tonnes, about 90,000t down on last year but significantly higher than the 2003 crop.

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