Total Onion Output Slips 4.2% in U.S.

WASHINGTON - Jul 10/02 - SNS -- The latest USDA vegetable crop production estimates expect onion growers in the United States to harvest 158,680 acres, virtually unchanged from last year.

Production of all classes of onions, on the other hand, should slip from 9,235 million pounds to 8,849 million this year as steep declines in storage type onion production offsets gains in summer, non-storage onion output.

Spring onion growers harvested 35,400 acres, down 2% from last season. Summer, non-storage onion growers expect to harvest 21,700 acres, 5% above last year. Storage onion growers plan to harvest 101,580 acres in 2002, virtually unchanged from last season. California plans to harvest 28,200 acres, the same as last year.

Production of spring onions in 2002 is forecast at 11.1 million cwt (100 pound units), virtually unchanged from last year but 6% below 2000. The crop is produced on 35,400 harvested acres, averaging 314 cwt per acre.

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