A combination of adverse weather conditions in the spring and summer conspired to impact the total yield of onions locally. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL).
VALE – A dismal blend of high summer temperatures, smoke and a windy spring stymied the local onion harvest as local producers are seeing lower yields per acre than in the past.
The harsh weather conditions mean the area’s $80 million onion industry will most likely take a hit this year.
Yields “are down significantly,” said Eddie Rodriguez, fresh pack sales director for Partners Produce in Payette.
Last year, the average onion yield per field in Malheur County was 42 tons, or 840 hundred weight (cwt) per acre. While 2021 harvest statistics won’t be available for a while, this year’s harvest doesn’t look like it will shape . . .
