Category: Onion

Sowing onions is a precise job because they are fine seeds and onions should not be sown too deep. We recommend 1.5 to 2.5 cm deep sowing in firm moist soil. Before sowing, you first have to till the soil, of course.

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On sand, that is ploughing, digging and in some cases non-tilling, in all cases make sure the seedbed is level. For each type of tillage, make sure the soil does not dry out too deeply. We are dealing with drying weather that can easily cause the top layer of ploughed soil to dry out too much. After ploughing or digging, it is very important that the soil lies “closed”. I.e. if one ploughs the soil, immediately prepare the seed bed so that only the top layer dries out but the seed bed remains sufficiently moist. If one ploughs with a front packer, do so in combination with a “trailing roller” (a cross roller, or a Cambridger roller etc). This way, the soil is also “closed” and the moisture remains at the top. This also applies to aforementioned tillages. Till the soil shortly before sowing. When you start sowing, check at what depth the soil is moist and adjust the sowing depth accordingly. When sowing, check regularly whether the seeds are well pressed into the moist soil. Repeat this several times.

Plant numbers

Depending on the bed width and the number of rows, the seed is distributed. Regardless of the sowing system, the most ideal plant number is between 80-90 pl./m2. Plant number generally means a good yield, especially when varieties are used that have a relatively high specific weight, which means they are already heavy in themselves. The number of plants per linear metre is shown on the right, depending on the width of the bed and the number of rows per bed.

Thousand-grain weight

The thousand grain weight of onion seed is always stated on the bags and can vary quite a bit. The risk is that too much or too little seed is sown, which can cause an irregular crop position. When the seed drill is adjusted to a thousand grain weight of 4.2 grams and a following variety has a thousand grain weight of, for example, 3.6 grams, this can cause double seeds on the sowing discs if the suction pressure of the seeder is not adjusted accordingly, and therefore an irregularity in the position of the crop. So check this carefully! Want to know more? Then read this article on the thousand-grain weight.

Mineral administration

What the plant needs in terms of minerals to achieve its kilos, but also to continue to meet the right quality requirements is very important. When which mineral is needed and at which growth stage the plant has the greatest need for the elements is crucial for the quality and final yield. Talk to your fertiliser supplier/business consultant and ask what would be wise for each type of soil and variety. For example, if you grow onions on light sandy soil, this requires a different strategy in terms of mineral application than if you have onions on clay soil of 40% silt. If there are any questions about this article, feel free to contact us!

Last week Hazera, together with van Meir and a group of onion growers from the Netherlands and Belgium, visited Senegal. We were able to see with our own eyes where our Dutch onions end up. Every year, Senegal imports about 180 to 200,000 tons of Dutch onions between September and January. They are unloaded in the port of Dakar where they are cleared through various importers and then distributed throughout the country, but also to neighboring countries such as Gambia, Mauritania, Mali etc.

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Manually unloading a ship loaded with 55,000 tons takes about a week. In this case, 50-kg bags of rice. The border for onions is currently closed. Onions are imported both loose and by container.

Good quality is important

For this market, it is important to export good quality onions. This is because the road from the Dutch onion to the consumer in Senegal is very long. After the onion arrives by boat in Dakar, it is transported by truck or horse-drawn cart to the small local markets and stores. Temperatures during that period are around 30 degrees and the onions cannot be refrigerated.

The wholesale market in Dakar

Local transportation from wholesale market to smaller markets and stores

Our health and safety laws do not apply there

Other living conditions

The Senegalese consume a lot of onions, it is estimated that one consumes about 30-35 kg per person per year. Because most Senegalese do not have a refrigerator, shopping is done daily and people buy only what is needed for that day’s meal. So that also means that often only 1 or 2 onions are bought at a time. Currently, onions cost consumers about €1.10 per kg. These are very high prices because the minimum daily wage is € 2.5 per day. In addition, most people do not have steady work, the unemployment rate is 70%.

Different quality

Onions are widely grown in Senegal in the dry season, the largest area by many small growers scattered throughout the country in areas where groundwater is available. Often these are small plots located against the dunes along the coast. Sowing takes place from early October to early February. From the moment the local onions are on the market, the border is closed to imports. The locally produced onions do not have the quality as we know it and therefore can only be stored for a very short time. It is estimated that about 13,000 ha of onions are grown in Senegal, of which about 11,000 ha are grown by the smaller growers.

Onion cultivation with drip irrigation

Talking to the companies

During the trip, we also had the opportunity to visit about four large farms in the region east of Dakar. Primeale has been growing mainly beans, sweet corn and spring onion for export to Europe for 15 years. A huge company that employs 4,500 people. Since about 5 years QVS and Lion Agricole are active in the same region, they focus mainly on production for the local market and produce a lot of onions. About 3 years ago QFS started, they produce mainly beans for export and a lot of other products for the local market like onions, but also carrot, pepper, tomato and lettuce.

All these companies work 100% with drip irrigation and pump water from sometimes up to 300 meters deep. It is also true of all farms that they employ many people. The weeding, harvesting and sorting is all manual work done mainly by women. The men do the maintenance of the machines, seeding, laying the drip hoses and loading/unloading the trucks. The staff is brought and picked up daily by local transporters, quite a logistical operation.

Thanks to van Meir and Hans Ham for the excellent organization.

Want to know more? Contact our crop specialists Onion!