DCA Market Intelligence publishes each week a benchmark package price onions for the sizes 35-50 mm and 45-65 mm, 50-70 mm, 60-80 mm and >80 mm. The specifications of these benchmarks prices are described below.
Onions that meet the requirements and the descriptions in VN/ECE-Norm FFV-25: In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, the bulbs must be:
| intact |
| excellent: The product affected by rotting or deterioration to the extent that it renders it unfit for consumption is excluded |
| clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter |
| free from damage due to frost |
| sufficiently dry for the intended use (in the case of onions for storing, at least
the
first two outer skins and the neck must be fully dried) |
| without hollow or tough necks |
| practically free from pests |
| free from damage caused by pests affecting the flesh |
| free of abnormal external moisture |
| free of any foreign smell and/or taste. |
The onions are classified in two classes, as defined below:
(i) Class I
Onions in this class must be of good quality. They must be characteristic of the variety and/or commercial type. The bulbs must be:
| firm and compact |
| free from externally visible shoots |
| free from swelling caused by abnormal vegetative development |
| practically free of root tufts. However, for onions harvested before complete
maturity, root tufts are allowed |
The following minor defects, however, may be permitted, provided they do not affect the overall appearance, keeping quality, shelf life, and presentation of the product in the package:
| a slight defect in shape |
| slight defects in colouring |
| light staining that does not affect the outer skin, provided it does not cover
more than one fifth of the bulb’s surface |
| superficial cracks in and partial absence of the outer skins, provided the flesh is
protected |
(ii) Class II
This class includes onions that do not qualify for inclusion in Class I but satisfy the minimum requirements specified above. The bulbs must be reasonably firm. The following defects may be allowed, provided the onions retain their essential characteristics regarding quality, keeping quality, and presentation.
| defects in shape |
| defects in colouring |
| traces due to rubbing |
| slight marking caused by parasites or disease |
| small healed cracks |
| slight healed bruising |
| root tufts |
| stains that do not affect the outer skin, provided they do not cover more than
half the bulb’s surface |
| cracks in the outer skins and partial absence of the skins over a maximum of
one third of the bulb’s surface, provided the flesh is not damaged |
The Dutch AVZ conditions (source: Groentenfruithuis) apply to the onions
Size is determined by the maximum diameter of the equatorial section
| 35 - 50 mm |
| 45 - 65 mm and 50-70 mm |
| 60-80 mm |
| > 80 mm |
Onions taken into account for this benchmark price must have a colour that is typicalfor Class II onions
Onions taken into account for this quotation do not have to be certified
The price that the trader has paid or received during the week from Friday 00:00 CET of the previous week until Friday 00:00 CET of the current week for onions as described in this document, excluding provision and VAT.
Picked up until next week’s Friday 23:59 CET
Ex. works Dutch sorter/packaging company
Price in euros per 100 kilogram
Price input (mutations) is collected on Friday until 13:30 CET. DCA Market Intelligence approaches contributors who are active in the market and in the area as specified in this document.Both a low (from) and a high (to) price are requested. If a contributor only enters one price level (single price), then this is regarded as both the low and high price. The price reporters of DCA Market Intelligence enters their prices into the Price Reporting System with their possible market comments.
The Price Reporting System calculates an average price from the price input of the contributors. This is calculated according to the following method:
First, an average price is calculated for all "from prices." If a contributor's "from price" deviates more than 25% from the average "from price," it is excluded from the range. The same procedure applies to the "to prices." The lowest remaining price becomes the "from price" of that week, and the highest price becomes the "to price" of that week. For each size, a "from" and a "to" price are published on Friday around 14:30 CET via SMS and on the website of Boerenbusiness.nl. This online platform is also part of DCA Market Intelligence. This, along with a brief explanation, the range of contributor prices for that week, and the corresponding number of observations, is included.
If the described procedure cannot be applied for any reason, the management of DCA Market Intelligence decides how the final benchmark for that week should be determined or whether to publish a benchmark price for that week, providing a justification.
Version: February 2024