Devastating Losses for Idaho and Eastern Oregon Onion Industry

The Idaho and Eastern Oregon onion-growing region located in Idaho and Malheur County, OR, is one of the largest growing regions in the United States, and provides approximately 45 percent of the onions consumed in the United States from mid-August until April. Most of the onions are sold to foodservice. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the area has seen a sharp decline in sales that will likely extend into the new season this fall and potentially crippling a historically vibrant onion-growing area.

On April 20, the Idaho Onion Growers Association, the Malheur County Oregon Onion Association and the Idaho-Oregon Fruit & Vegetable Association sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue explaining the dire situation that the growers and shippers are currently experiencing and will most likely face this fall. The letter explained that due to the massive closings of restaurants and foodservice establishments from measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19, the onion growing region has been extremely hard hit.  Read Article