How to Export Red Onions Successfully: A Guide for Beginners

Are you interested in exporting red onions to other countries? Do you want to know how to grow, pack, and ship high-quality red onions that meet the international standards and demand? If yes, then this article is for you. In this article, we will explain the basics of red onion export, including the benefits, challenges, requirements, and tips for success. We will also provide some trustworthy hyperlinks as references for further information.

Red onions are one of the most popular and versatile vegetables in the world. They are used for flavoring, coloring, and garnishing various dishes, salads, soups, sauces, and snacks. Red onions have a mild to strong flavor, depending on the variety and growing conditions. They also have many health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation, and boosting immunity and digestion.

According to the World’s Top Exports website, globally exported onions were worth a total US$4.26 billion in 2022. The top five exporters of onions were the Netherlands, China, India, Mexico, and the United States of America. These countries accounted for almost two-thirds (63.4%) of all onions exported during 2022. The global demand for onions is expected to grow in the coming years, especially in the emerging markets of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Therefore, exporting red onions can be a lucrative business opportunity for farmers and traders who want to tap into this growing market. However, exporting red onions is not as easy as it sounds. It requires careful planning, preparation, and execution to ensure quality, safety, and profitability. Here are some of the key steps and factors to consider when exporting red onions:

1. Choose the right variety of red onions.

There are many varieties of red onions available in the market, such as Spanish reds, California reds, Texas sweets, Bermuda reds, etc. Each variety has its own characteristics, such as size, shape, color, flavor, shelf life, and suitability for different climates and seasons. You should choose the variety that best suits your target market’s preferences and requirements. For example, if you want to export red onions to Europe or North America, you should choose a variety that has a bright red color, a round shape, a large size, and a long shelf life. If you want to export red onions to Asia or Africa, you should choose a variety that has a deep red color, a flat shape, a medium size, and a strong flavor.

2. Grow high-quality red onions.

To grow high-quality red onions, you need to follow good agricultural practices (GAP), such as selecting healthy seeds or bulbs, preparing fertile soil with adequate drainage and irrigation systems, applying organic fertilizers and pesticides as needed, controlling weeds and pests effectively, harvesting at the right time and maturity level, etc. You should also monitor the weather conditions closely and adjust your farming methods accordingly to avoid stress or damage to your crops. You should also follow the guidelines and regulations of your country’s agricultural authorities regarding food safety and quality standards.

3. Pack and store red onions properly.

After harvesting your red onions, you need to pack and store them properly to maintain their quality and freshness until they reach their destination. You should sort your red onions according to their size, shape, color, and quality grades (such as A-grade, B-grade, C-grade, etc.). You should also remove any dirt, diseased, damaged, or rotten ones from your lot. You should pack your red onions in clean, dry, and ventilated containers or bags that are suitable for transportation and storage. You should also label your containers or bags with relevant information, such as product name, variety, origin, weight, grade, date of packing, etc. You should store your red onions in a cool, dark, and dry place with good air circulation and low humidity levels. You should avoid exposing your red onions to direct sunlight, heat, moisture, or ethylene gas (which can cause sprouting or rotting).

4. Ship red onions safely and efficiently.

To ship your red onions safely and efficiently, you need to choose a reliable shipping company that can handle your cargo with care and deliver it on time and in good condition. You should also choose the best mode of transportation for your cargo, such as air freight, sea freight, road freight, or rail freight, depending on the distance, cost, speed, and availability of each option. You should also prepare the necessary documents for your shipment, such as invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, phytosanitary certificates, quality certificates, etc. You should also comply with the customs regulations and import requirements of your destination country regarding tariffs, taxes, duties, quotas, licenses, permits, inspections, etc.

5. Market and sell your red onions effectively.

To market and sell your red onions effectively, you need to identify and target your potential customers and markets. You should research the market trends, demand, supply, competition, prices, preferences, and regulations of your target markets. You should also establish and maintain good relationships with your customers and partners, such as importers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, processors, consumers, etc. You should also promote and advertise your red onions through various channels and platforms, such as websites, social media, trade fairs, exhibitions, catalogs, brochures, samples, etc. You should also provide excellent customer service and support to your customers and partners, such as timely delivery, quality assurance, after-sales service, feedback collection, complaint handling, etc.

By following these steps and factors, you can export red onions successfully and profitably. However, you should also be aware of the challenges and risks involved in exporting red onions, such as weather fluctuations, crop failures, price volatility, quality issues, transportation delays, customs clearance, trade barriers, currency exchange, payment defaults, etc. You should also be prepared to face and overcome these challenges and risks with contingency plans, risk management strategies, insurance policies, etc.

Exporting red onions can be a rewarding and profitable business venture if you do it right. You can also contribute to the economic development and social welfare of your country and the world by providing healthy and delicious food products to the global market. We hope this article has given you some useful information and insights on how to export red onions successfully.

Red Onion Export: A Global Overview

Red onions are one of the most widely consumed vegetables in the world, with a range of culinary and medicinal uses. They are also a valuable commodity in international trade, as many countries produce and export red onions to meet the global demand. In this blog post, we will look at some of the statistics and trends of red onion export in 2022, based on data from various sources.

Top Exporters of Red Onions

According to World’s Top Exports, the global value of exported onions (including shallots) was US$4.26 billion in 2022, an increase of 18.6% since 2018 and 5.8% since 2021. The top five exporters of onions in 2022 were:

Netherlands: US$849.9 million (20% of total exported onions)
China: US$564.9 million (13.3% of total exported onions)
India: US$524.6 million (12.3% of total exported onions)
Mexico: US$437.6 million (10.3% of total exported onions)
United States: US$321 million (7.5% of total exported onions)

These five countries accounted for 63.4% of all onions exported worldwide in 2022, indicating a relatively concentrated market. Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing ones since 2021 were Egypt (up 53.5%), Canada (up 49.4%), Poland (up 47.4%) and Afghanistan (up 45%). On the other hand, some major suppliers experienced declines in their exported onion sales, such as Pakistan (down -68.9%), New Zealand (down -27.4%) and France (down -17.5%).

Top Importers of Red Onions

The global value of imported onions (including shallots) was US$4.15 billion in 2022, an increase of 16.9% since 2018 and 6% since 2021, according to World’s Top Exports. The top five importers of onions in 2022 were:

Indonesia: US$344 million (8.3% of total imported onions)
Malaysia: US$292 million (7% of total imported onions)
United Kingdom: US$264 million (6.4% of total imported onions)
Germany: US$251 million (6% of total imported onions)
Bangladesh: US$240 million (5.8% of total imported onions)

These five countries accounted for 33.5% of all onions imported worldwide in 2022, indicating a relatively dispersed market. Among the top importers, the fastest-growing ones since 2021 were Bangladesh (up 59%), Sri Lanka (up 54%), Philippines (up 51%) and Vietnam (up 49%). On the other hand, some major buyers experienced declines in their imported onion purchases, such as Japan (down -19%), United States (down -14%) and France (down -13%).

Regional Trends of Red Onion Export

The regional distribution of onion export also reveals some interesting patterns and dynamics. According to World’s Top Exports, Europe was the leading continent in terms of onion export value in 2022, with shipments valued at US$1.43 billion or 33.5% of the global total. Asia was a close second, with exports worth US$1.4 billion or 32.9% of the global total. North America was third, with exports valued at US$838 million or 19.7% of the global total.

Among the regions within Europe, Central and Eastern Europe saw a significant increase in their onion export value in 2022, reaching US$287 million or a growth rate of 36%, according to Statista. The top exporters in this region were Poland, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria.

Among the regions within Asia, South Asia was the dominant player in onion export, with India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh being the main suppliers. However, as mentioned earlier, Pakistan suffered a sharp decline in its onion export value in 2022, due to various factors such as crop failures, domestic shortages and export bans.

Red onion export is a dynamic and diverse industry that involves many countries and regions around the world. The statistics and trends presented in this blog post provide a snapshot of the current situation and performance of this industry in 2022, based on available data from various sources.

However, it is important to note that these data may not reflect the actual quality, quantity or variety of red onions exported by different countries, as they are based on the Harmonized Tariff System code 070310, which includes onions and shallots of all types and colors. Therefore, further research and analysis are needed to obtain a more accurate and comprehensive picture of the red onion export industry.

References:

https://books.google.com/books?id=t5VQCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA24

https://books.google.com/books?id=nyWY_YkV7qAC&pg=PA367

https://doi.org/10.17221%2F302%2F2012-CJFS

Onions Exports by Country 2022 – World’s Top Exports
Value of the import and export of onions in the Netherlands 2008-2021 | Statista
CEE: onions export value 2022 | Statista

https://www.essarexports.com/red-onions.htm