Spanish onion producer-exporters are forecasting an increase in output for the 2013-14 season.

Growers from the three main production regions of Valencia, Catalonia and Castille-La Mancha met in Madrid this week under the aegis of the onion committee of national producer-exporters federation, Fepex. They estimated that production should rise slightly year on year when the new season begins in May.

The 2012-13 season due to conclude in April has been 30 per cent down on 2011-12 in volume but has not been accompanied by higher prices, association president Alfonso Tarazona said at the meeting. Spain has some 22,000ha under onion production. It is second only to the Netherlands in terms of exports, although the Netherlands figure also includes re-exports.