How & Where Onions are Grown

Onions are grown commercially in more than 20 states, literally border-to-border and coast-to-coast. The National Onion Association estimates that less than 1,000 growers produce onions commercially in the United States, including organic. Virtually all onion producers grow other agricultural crops.

U.S. farmers plant approximately 125,000 acres of onions each year and produce about 6.2 billion pounds a year. This includes organic production, but excludes bulb onions for dehydration.

The U.S. has 4.5% of the world’s population, accounts for 1.6% of the world onion acreage, and produces about 4% of the world’s annual supply. The U.S. dry bulb onion crop value exceeds $1 billion at farmgate and generates $5-7 billion dollars at consumer purchase level.

The top three onion producing areas are California, Idaho-Eastern Oregon, and Washington. See table the below for U.S. onion acreage and production details.

Approximately 170 countries grow onions for their own domestic use, and many are also involved in international trade. It is estimated that over 9.2 million acres of onions are harvested annually around the World. This production is grown from more than 8 million pounds of seed. Production is in excess of 3.2 billion 50# units according to sources at the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization in Rome, Italy. Approximately 8 percent of this global onion production is traded internationally. Leading onion production countries are China, India, United States, Turkey, and Pakistan, respectively.

U.S. onion exports amount to 11 - 14 million fifty pound bags per year. Leading export countries for the U.S. are Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Taiwan.

U.S. onion imports total 12 - 17 million 50 pound bags annually. Leading countries importing into the U.S. are Mexico, Canada, Peru, and Chile.

In 2010, the U.S. onion industry developed voluntary commodity specific food safety guidelines for the dry bulb onion supply chain. This document serves as guidance for growers and shippers to adhere to best practices and regulations governing safe vegetable production. The industry supports government efforts to provide a strong food safety regulatory framework that assures the public appropriate standards are in place and being met by the dry bulb onion supply chain.