The onion campaign in the province of Seville is facing a critical situation. Thousands of kilos remain unharvested because the prices at origin, between 9 and 12 cents per kilo, do not cover production costs, according to COAG Sevilla.
The provincial secretary of COAG Sevilla, Sebastián González, has described the situation faced by Seville farmers dedicated to onion cultivation as "unacceptable". The current prices, which range between €0.09 and €0.12 per kilogram, do not even allow for the recovery of harvesting costs, leading many producers to opt to leave the harvest uncollected.
"There are farmers who prefer to leave the onions in the field because harvesting them means losing even more money," explains González. The agricultural organisation warns that the situation is unsustainable and that thousands of kilos of a quality product are being lost.
Soaring Production Costs
According to COAG Sevilla's calculations, producing one hectare of onions costs between €7,000 and €9,000. This investment includes land preparation, sowing, fertilisation, irrigation, labour, harvesting, handling, loading, and transport. With current prices, farmers cannot recover even a part of that investment.
"We have been working for more than six months, taking on climatic and commercial risks, and in the end, we find that the price does not compensate for the effort," laments González. The economically least damaging alternative for many is not to harvest the crop, which results in a total loss of the investment.
Contract Breaches and Unfair Competition
COAG Sevilla also denounces that some marketing companies are breaching the sales contracts signed before the campaign. These companies rely on clauses that allow them to withdraw from the merchandise when the market is unfavourable, shifting all the risk onto the producer.
"Farmers planned their sowings and investments based on those agreements. Now they find that their production is not being purchased," notes González. The organisation believes that these practices may violate the Food Chain Law, which seeks to ensure fair relationships among sector operators.
At the same time, the agricultural organisation reports that while Seville onions are being rejected, imported onions from other countries are being used, further exacerbating the crisis for local producers. "It makes no sense to bring in onions from abroad when we have a product of excellent quality that cannot be sold here," criticises González.
Reactions and Demands
COAG Sevilla calls on public administrations to take measures to ensure fair prices at origin and to enforce the Food Chain Law. It also demands that possible unfair practices by marketing companies be investigated.
"We need contracts to be respected and for the price to at least cover production costs. We cannot continue like this," concludes González. Meanwhile, the onion fields of Seville present a desolate scene: rows of bulbs rotting without being harvested, a symbol of the crisis facing the sector.
For Seville consumers, this situation does not translate into lower prices in supermarkets, where onions continue to be sold at prices far higher than those received by farmers. The organisation reminds that the difference between the price at origin and the final price in stores is astronomical, highlighting the lack of transparency in the value chain.
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