The Holland Onion Association recorded a 22.6% uptick in export volumes for the four winter months of November to February, surpassing the 400,000 metric ton (MT) mark.

"The international market for Dutch onions exporters is visibly stronger due to the reliability of the product quality and the relatively low price of the Holland Onion," the group said.

"This strong international position of Dutch onions can be attributed to the powerful and innovative structure of the Dutch onion sector and our unique position in Europe as a ‘sustainable urban delta’.

"Sustainability is thus an important leading issue to be dealt with in the next three years during the largest and most comprehensive quality study ever to be deployed. The three areas of concern will be: pest and disease control, quality control and the basic materials and fertilization influences."

Senegal was the top destination market with close to 160,000MT, followed by Brazil, the U.K. and the Ivory Coast.

Other key markets included Malaysia, Guinea, Belgium, Mauritania, Germany and France.

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