Normally, the onion harvest of the early varieties would be running at full speed at this time of year throughout the Federal Republic. Due to the drought and the persistently high temperatures, producers and marketers have been experiencing a difficult season with significant failure rates. While in some regions of Germany at least a small portion of the products is cleared, in Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony, a total failure of the onions occurred. Only at the end of September will onions from regional fields again be on offer, says the Middle German Onion Department, seated in Calbe/Saale.

40% failures Currently there is a drought on the local onion steppes of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony. Currently, only a few onions from regional cultivation are available. As expected, there will be few onions from this region this season. Already at the beginning of September, we start harvesting the varieties for storage and losses in this area of about 40 percent are expected. Furthermore, we will mainly bring size 35-50 on the market. Large goods of 60 and 70+, however, will be scarce,'' says a spokeswoman.

 High prices Since the harvest in the other growing areas of Germany is small, the prices are in the higher regions. Depending on the quality and size, the offers are around 35-37 euros per 100 kg. Last year, on the other hand, onions from regional cultivation were already on offer at this time of year and the prices were accordingly, at about 20 euros per 100 kg. Coming season Nevertheless, the Middle German Onion Department is already looking ahead to the coming season. In fact, the associated producers are trying out new varieties in the cultivation process and, accordingly, are expanding the diversity of varieties on the fields there. The overall proportion of yellow onions is still the most important by far, namely around 85 percent. However, the red tubers and shallots are also gaining in importance.

Biological conversion In addition to all that, the Middle German Onion Department has expanded its acreage for organic products this year. In contrast to conventional tubers, organic farming is flourishing relatively well. ''This year's size of onions ranges from 40 to 70 mm. Several of the organic onions were planted. It is also expected that the area under cultivation with organic onions -yellow and red-skinned- and shallots, will be extended in the future, in line with the needs of grocers.'' Parallel to the steady growth of organic farming, the trend clearly points towards compostable packaging. The Middle German Onion Department is also in the process of changing its packaging catalogue and meeting the requirements of the food retailer. "We are currently packing our onions primarily in nets, but in the future we also want to offer paper bags."