BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho officials have extended the deadline for farmers to dispose of spoiled or damaged onions following the collapse of many onion storage facilities in southwestern Idaho due to heavy snow.

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The Idaho State Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday that the March 15 deadline has been extended to April 15.

Agriculture Director Celia Gould says the temporary rule will give onion farmers some flexibility in dealing with the massive disposal effort. She says many facilities are reporting total losses.

Onions are harvested from August through October and sold through April.

Experts say that each year a large quantity of onions produced in the region fail to meet quality goals or start to break down in storage.

Called cull onions, they must be disposed of properly to control insects and diseases.