Onion Crop Situation in the Mercosur

GALMARINI, C.R.

ACTA HORTICULTURAE

Año: 2001 p. 269 - 274

0567-7572

Mercosur is the most prominent economic integration arrangement launched in Latin America over the past two decades. The members of the Mercosur (Southern Cone Common Market) are: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The agreement was implemented in 1991. In 1996 Chile signed  a  special trade agreement joining the Mercosur. More than 100,000 hectares  of onions are grown in the countries of Mercosur, which produces more than 1,500,000 MT. Short, intermediate and long-day cultivars are used. The region exports onions mainly to the EEC, USA and Asia, but there is also an important market within the Mercosur. Onion seed production is also an important activity, mainly in Argentina and Chile. Scientific and technological research dealing with different aspects of the crop is being  conducted in the region, and every two years a scientific meeting of onion researchers working in the Mercosur is held. The characteristics of the onion production of the region, markets, and aspects related with the research programs are discussed.