Onion farming

Due to rising onion prices, the central government has taken another major decision. The government will continue the purchase of onions in all the mandis across India. The government will continue to interfere till the price falls.

The central government has so far taken various important steps to decrease the rising onion prices, the effect of which has also started appearing. After the intervention of the government, onion prices have fallen to Rs 60 per kg. In the middle of this, the central government has taken a big decision, which will give relief to onion farmers as well as customers.

Central government will continue to procure onion continuously

Actually, the government has decided to continue the purchase of onions. Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh has said that the government has decided to continue the purchase of onions. This purchase will be held in all the mandis across India. He has said that until the onion prices are reduced, the government will purchase onion.

Onion exports were banned last week

For your information, the government has banned onion exports till 31 March last week. The government has taken this step with the aim of keeping onion domestic prices under control and increasing availability. However, onion producing farmers are not happy with this decision and are opposing it in different parts of India. In Nashik district of Maharashtra, onion producing farmers are demanding to withdraw this decision. In the midst of this protest of farmers, the government has decided to continue the purchase of onions.

Export ban will not affect farmers

The Secretary of Consumer Affairs says that the government is expecting that by January onion prices will reach the current average price by Rs 57.02 per kg to reach below Rs 40 per kg. He said that the export ban will not have any effect on farmers. Also, it is a small group of traders who are taking advantage of the middle gaps in Indian and Bangladesh markets.

Maharashtra is a major onion producing state of India. Here production of onions is done on a large scale. Here, onions are cultivated three times a year. Nashik, Pune, Solapur, Dhule and Ahmednagar are considered strongholds in the state for onion production. At present, Rabi season onion planting has started in Maharashtra. Farmers cultivate maximum onion in the state and here Asia’s largest onion market is in Lasalgaon, Nashik. Generally, cultivation of onions is done only once a year in different states. But it is nothing like here in Maharashtra. Three crops are done during a year in the state. Here it is produced in Kharif, post-Kharif and in Rabi season. Onions are a cash crop in Maharashtra. A majority of farmers here depend on its cultivation. Farmers get maximum production of onion in the Rabi season. 

When is the sowing of the second season of onion done?

The second season of  onion is sown in the month of october-november , which is currently being done in the state. It gets ready in between January and march. The third crop of onion is Rabi, which is sown in December-January. At the same time, it is harvested from March to May. 60 percent of total production of onion in the state occurs in Rabi season only. 

Onion is produced in large quantities in these districts of Maharashtra.  

Onion is cultivated most in Jalgaon, Dhule, Ahmednagar, Satara, Nashik, Pune and Solapur districts of Maharashtra. At the same time, farmers cultivate this crop in Marathwada district of Maharashtra. Nashik is famous for producing onions not only in Maharashtra but all over India. Out of its total production in India, 37 percent of onion is produced in Maharashtra and 10 percent of the onion production in the state is done only in Nashik.

What should be the soil for onion cultivation?

According to agricultural scientists, onions can be cultivated in different types of soil. But, excellent yield is obtained only in soils like clay, sand, loamy, gar and brown soil. To get high yield in onion cultivation, there should be good drainage facilities in the field.

What type of land should it be?

To prepare for the cultivation , first plowing of the land should be done three to four times. Also, add rotten manure to increase the amount of organic matter in the soil. After this, divide the field into small plots. Planting should be done on a 1.2 meter wide strip at a height of 15 cm from the land surface. 

How much fertilizers should be used?

Onion crop requires a large amount of nutrients. Manure and fertilizer should be used in onion crops on the basis of soil test. Rotten cow dung manure should be used in the field at the rate of 20-25 tonnes per hectare from one-two months before planting.

Great onion varieties and pruning time.

Bhima Shweta: This variety of white onion is already approved for Rabi season, this variety gives an average yield of 18-20 tonnes in Kharif while it gives an average yield of 26-30 tonnes in Rabi.

Bhima Super: This red onion variety has been identified for production in the Kharif season. It can also be grown as a late crop in the Kharif season. This variety gets ripe in a time interval of 95-100 days. Its production is approximately 20-22 tonnes per hectare.

Talking about the right time to prune onions, the right time to remove onions from the fields is when the moisture in the plant gets exhausted and its bulb starts coming up almost on its own.