Onions look like the simplest line on a produce order — until a container arrives with loose skins, sprouting bulbs or a size mix your market will not take. Buying Egyptian onions wholesale well comes down to four written specifications: type (golden vs red), size band, curing/skin quality, and bag format. Get those four right and Egyptian onions are one of the most reliable, price-competitive items you can import; leave them vague and you inherit the packhouse’s leftovers.
Egypt ships onions at serious scale from roughly February through September, with dry-stored fruit extending supply further. PEIVANA supplies golden and red onions in full dry containers or as ballast pallets in a mixed produce container — the classic partner to citrus and potatoes in winter loads. Here is the buyer’s checklist.
Types and Grades
- Golden (yellow) onions — the volume export type. Amber, papery skin, pungent flavour, excellent dry-matter and storage life. The default for wholesale markets, foodservice and repacking across the Gulf, Asia, Africa and Europe.
- Red onions — deep red-purple skins, milder and slightly sweeter; demanded in Gulf, Indian-diaspora and Southeast Asian markets, and for salad/retail programs. Typically commands a premium over golden.
- White onions — smaller niche, mostly for specific retail or processing requests.
Grade 1 export onions should be firm, well-cured, with intact outer skins, closed necks, no sprouting, no root regrowth and no mechanical damage. Grade 2 tolerates skin cracking, staining and shape defects — acceptable for some catering and processing channels at a discount. Specify grade and tolerance (e.g. “Grade 1, max 8% defects by weight”) on the PO.
Sizes: The 40–60 / 60–80 / 80+ System
Egyptian onions are sized by bulb diameter in millimetres. Different markets have hard preferences — confirm yours before fixing the order.
| Size band | Diameter | Common name | Typical demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30–50 mm | 30–50 mm | Small / pickling | Pickling, specific Asian markets, catering sachets |
| 40–60 mm | 40–60 mm | Medium | Retail bags, Gulf and African wholesale |
| 60–80 mm | 60–80 mm | Large — the export workhorse | Most wholesale markets worldwide; best availability and price |
| 80+ mm | 80 mm and up | Jumbo / colossal | Foodservice, slicing/processing, European catering |
Note that red onions run smaller on average than golden — a 40–60 majority is normal for reds where goldens deliver a 60–80 majority. If your market punishes small bulbs, write “minimum 50 mm, majority 60–80” rather than just “large”.
Packing Options
| Format | Net weight | Notes for buyers |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh (net) bag | 5 kg | Retail-ready; often ordered in 25 kg master bags or on retail display pallets |
| Mesh bag | 10 kg | Small-wholesale favourite in Gulf and Africa |
| Mesh bag | 20 kg | Common wholesale unit in many Asian markets |
| Mesh bag | 25 kg | The standard export unit; best price per kg |
| Jumbo bag (big bag) | 500–1,000 kg | Processing and repacking plants only |
Bags load either palletised (cleaner handling, faster discharge, slightly less payload) or loose-stowed floor loading (maximum payload, common for 25 kg bags into price-driven markets). A 40′ container takes roughly 26–28 tonnes loose or ~24–25 tonnes palletised.
Curing and Skin Quality: Where Onion Claims Are Won or Lost
An onion’s shelf life is decided before it is packed. Proper field curing (drying until necks are tight and outer skins are papery) is what lets Egyptian onions travel 3–4 weeks in a dry container and then sit in a warehouse. Buyers should ask, in writing:
- Curing confirmation — minimum days cured and neck-dryness check at packing;
- Skin integrity standard — at least 1–2 intact outer skins on Grade 1 bulbs;
- Moisture discipline — onions must be packed dry; wet-packed onions arrive stained and rotting;
- Sprout and rot tolerance — e.g. max 2% combined at loading.
Dry Container Loading — Not Reefer
Well-cured onions ship in ventilated dry containers, not reefers — which is exactly why they are so cost-effective. The rules that matter: ventilation channels left in the stow, no mixing with moisture-releasing cargo, desiccant use in humid seasons, and absolutely no rain exposure during stuffing. For long transits or hot destinations, reefer shipment at 0–5°C with fresh-air exchange is available at a premium and extends arrival quality — worth it for premium red programs.
Season Timing
Fresh golden onions run February/March through June from the main winter crop, with stored supply continuing through September and beyond. Reds follow a similar window. Early-season (March–April) onions offer the best skins-freshness combination; late stored lots need a sharper QC eye. Plan the year with the Egyptian produce seasons calendar.
QC Checkpoints Buyers Should Demand
- Pre-loading inspection report with cut-bulb photos (internal condition), size distribution, and defect percentages against your tolerance.
- Neck and skin check — documented curing standard as above.
- Bag weight verification — 25 kg means 25 kg net, with a stated tare.
- Sprouting inhibitor / treatment declaration where applied, compliant with destination MRLs.
- Stuffing photos showing ventilation channels and dry cargo.
- Phytosanitary certificate matching bag markings (type, size, lot, packing date).
How Onions Fit a Mixed Container
Onions are the classic value ballast of Egyptian mixed loads: cheap per kg, robust, and tolerant of the 0–5°C set point used for citrus. A typical winter build pairs 12–14 pallets of oranges with 6–8 pallets of onions and potatoes — one booking, three products, full wholesale range. See the winter citrus + onions container guide and the mixed containers cornerstone.
FAQ
What sizes should I order for a wholesale market?
60–80 mm golden onions in 25 kg mesh bags are the most liquid spec worldwide. Add 40–60 mm reds in 10 kg bags if your market has South Asian or Gulf retail demand.
Do Egyptian onions need a reefer container?
No — properly cured onions travel in ventilated dry containers for most destinations, which keeps freight low. Reefer is an upgrade for premium programs, long transits or hot-season arrivals.
How long do Egyptian onions keep after arrival?
Well-cured Grade 1 golden onions hold 1–2 months in dry, ventilated warehouse conditions; red onions are best rotated faster.
Get a Same-Day Onion Quotation
Send type, size band, bag format and destination — we will quote the same day, full container or mixed. PEIVANA is the flexible Egyptian exporter, loading from Alexandria, Damietta, Sokhna and Port Said.