NHRDF to increase onion yield

The National Horticulture Research & Development Foundation (NHRDF) has started research activities to increase onion yield of the country by around 66 per cent to 25 tonnes an acre from the current 14 tonnes.

The country is the second largest onion producer in the world after China. China produces 11 million tonnes of onions annually, while India produces 6.6 million tonnese (including all the three crops "" kharif, rangada and rabi). Maharashtra accounts for around 32 per cent of the country's total production.

In Maharashtra, the yield is around 16 tonnes an acre compared with 14 tonnes in rest of the country. The area under onion production in the country is 480,000 heactres.

Dr Satish Bhonde, additional director, National Horticulture Research & Development Foundation (NHRDF), said, "We can definitely increase the yield by improving irrigation system, reducing chemical fertilizers, giving crop protection and by avoiding post-harvesting losses."

He said that diseases and pests/insects caused around 25 per cent loss of onion crop. "We can increase onion output up to 8 million tonnes if we could avoid such losses," he added.

"Due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers, onion gets soft. As a result, it gets spoiled very soon in storage houses. Hence, it is necessary to avoid the use of chemical fertilizers and instead increase the use organic fertilizers. The layer of storage, which is generally six feet, must not be more than three feet. This will help in reducing damage of onion," Bhonde said.

Around 17.07 per cent, or 1.2 million tonnes, of the country's total onion production is exported to countries such as Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Maharashtra contribute 70 per cent to the country's total export.