# What drives the wholesale price of onions

European supply, size, quality, timing of sale and packaging: we explain what really shapes wholesale onion prices, from the perspective of a grower in the Żuławy region.

Onion price quotations change every week and go stale faster than anyone can read them. That is why we do not paste wholesale market tables here. Instead, we explain the mechanics: what pushes the price of onions up or down, and what a wholesale buyer is really paying for. We write as growers: we grow around 250 hectares of onions in the Żuławy region, we have storage for around 13,000 tonnes and our own sorting line, so we see all of these factors from the inside, all year round.

## European supply sets the starting point

Onions are a European commodity, not a local one. Poland, the Netherlands and Germany form one connected market: when the harvest fails in one country, buyers look for produce next door, and when everyone has a good year, the surplus weighs on prices across Europe. The 2025 season was a good example: large onion surpluses across Europe meant a grower's result came down to quality, grading and possible exports, not simply having stock to sell.

For the buyer, the conclusion is simple: the European market sets the base level of the price, but what a specific lot costs depends on its parameters. And those parameters are what we, the growers, can influence.

## Size and grading: the same onion, different prices

Size means the diameter of the onion in millimetres. Ungraded onions straight from the field are a completely different product from an even 50-70 mm fraction prepared for a packing plant. The buyer pays for getting exactly the range their process needs: no undersized bulbs, no oversized ones, no surprises on the line.

Our grading is handled by the [DOWNS CropVision optical sorter](/blog/sortownik-optyczny-downs-cropvision): cameras and AI scan every onion through 360 degrees and reject defects at up to 100 tonnes per hour. Which sizes suit which application is something we cover in more detail in our post on [onion sizes for processing](/blog/jaki-kaliber-cebuli-do-przetworstwa).

## What actually builds the price of a lot

| Factor | How it affects the price |
| --- | --- |
| Supply and stocks in Europe | set the season's base level: surpluses pull prices down, poor harvests push them up |
| Size and evenness of the fraction | even commercial fractions are priced higher than ungraded produce |
| Quality and commercial class | Class I (firm, dry skin, even shape) sits on a different shelf from produce with defects |
| Timing of sale | supply peaks right after harvest; stored onions carry storage costs and weight loss |
| Packaging and preparation | loose, big bags and net bags mean different labour and logistics |
| Certificates and testing | the entry ticket to retail chains and processors, opening more stable sales channels |

## Quality and commercial class: what the buyer pays for

In wholesale trade, Class I matters most: firm, compact onions with a dry skin and no sprouting. A lot like that will pass the buyer's quality control and will not come back to the sender. That is why we test every lot for pesticide residues, heavy metals and substances harmful to health, and we run the farm under GlobalG.A.P., GRASP, FSA Gold (Farm Sustainability Assessment, the highest sustainability rating level) and GMP+ certification.

{% callout tone="info" %}
The wholesale price is not just "per kilogram". It is the price of certainty: that the lot will pass quality control, run on the line without stoppages and generate no complaints. That certainty has a value, and good buyers know it.
{% /callout %}

## Timing of sale: this is where storage earns its keep

Right after harvest there is more produce on the market than at any other time of year, so the pressure on prices is greatest. A grower with no facilities has to sell then, because there is nowhere to keep the onions. We have storage for around 13,000 tonnes, which means we do not sell the whole crop at once but spread sales across the year. Stored onions are priced differently from onions straight from the field: the price includes energy, climate control and natural weight loss. We describe exactly how this works in our post on [how we manage sales from storage](/blog/jak-sterujemy-sprzedaza-z-przechowalni).

## Packaging, logistics and lot size

The same onion in a different form is a different price. Loose for processing, big bags for packing plants and net bags for distribution each involve different labour, materials and logistics. Then there is palletising, transport, and whether we are talking about a one-off purchase or a regular delivery schedule. An ongoing relationship with a predictable volume puts both sides in a better position to talk terms than a single lot bought at short notice.

## How we calculate our price

We do not run a fixed price list, because on this market it would be out of date within a week. We calculate the price from current market prices and the parameters of the order: size, class, packaging, volume and delivery date. You will find full details of our onions in our [onion offer](/oferta/cebula), and we explain step by step how wholesale cooperation works in our post for [wholesale onion buyers](/blog/cebula-hurt-dostawca).

## Frequently asked questions

### Why do onion prices change so much over the year?
Because supply changes. Right after harvest there is the most produce on the market and prices are usually at their lowest, while by spring the market is left mostly with stored onions, which carry storage costs and weight loss. On top of that comes the situation across Europe: surpluses or shortages among the big producers feed through to prices in Poland.

### Do graded onions have to cost more than ungraded ones?
Yes, because grading is a real cost and real value. The buyer gets an even fraction matched to their process, with no waste they would have to dispose of at their own expense. They pay more per kilogram, but less per kilogram of produce they actually use.

### Does a larger size always mean a higher price?
Not always. Large onions are valued for peeling and in food service, but other channels need other ranges. What decides the price is how well the fraction matches the application, not the size itself.

### How can I check whether a wholesale price is in line with the market?
Compare lots with the same parameters: size, class, packaging, timing. Setting the price of ungraded onions against the price of an even fraction in big bags tells you nothing, because they are two different products.

### Can we agree a fixed price for the whole season?
On a market as volatile as onions, that is rare, but an ongoing relationship lets both sides agree predictable rules: a delivery schedule, lot parameters and the way the price is calculated. That gives both sides stability without pretending the market stands still.

---

Buying onions wholesale and want to talk about a specific lot? Write to us through our [contact page](/kontakt) and we will calculate a price for the parameters of your order.