SALINAS, CA - Green onions are among those subtle staples across dishes. Whether they are stirred into a soup or sprinkled on top of a potato, you don’t know how much you need them until they are gone. A fact the market certainly reflected when green onion supply tightened this fall.

“Now, our green onion crops are looking good and showing great quality. We expect to provide ample supply for the strong winter season, especially as consumer demand remains up,” Alexis Nishihara, Commodity Sales Manager of Green Onions for Ippolito International, recently told me.

Though the green onion market has been up and down these past couple of months and remains somewhat tight currently, Ippolito’s growers worked through the challenging scenario and are coming out the other side on a high note in time for holiday promotions.

“In August, Hurricane Otis set the stage for the market. This created a demand-exceeds-supply situation that, following the effects of the hurricane combined with the higher temperatures, continued to be hot in terms of industry demand,” Alexis recalled.

But, the grower pressed on and is excited to now supply the distinct channel green onions serve during the upcoming celebrations.

“As consumers consider memorable holiday dishes, green onions continue to play a role,” Alexis pointed out. “Think about it: What’s better than mashed potatoes alongside your Thanksgiving turkey? Nothing, except mashed potatoes with a generous sprinkle of fresh green onions! Easy to prepare and a cinch to add onto many holiday plates, green onions add colorful, cheerful elegance, while adding healthy, low-calorie flavor.”

As the green onion market continues to find balance after the previous couple of months, AndNowUKnow will continue to report on this and other key categories in the industry.

Ippolito International