The news headline says that the Filipino government will import 21,060 MT of onions to fill a supply shortfall until the next domestic harvest in February. Consumer prices have quadrupled in the last four months, which has created a political issue. Vegetables as a general category are subject to far less trade than major row crops, but onions surprisingly standout as a product in that category. The Philippines will likely source them from nearby New Zealand, which supplies over half the globally traded onions. Who knew? China at 13.5 percent and Mexico with 12.5 percent dominate the global export market for vegetables as a general category. They are followed by Spain and the Netherlands. The U.S. is the largest importer of vegetables, tak...

TAGS – Softs, North America