Onion production for kharif season down by 50 per cent this year

Onion production for kharif season down by 50 per cent this year

PUNE: While onion prices are skyrocketing in both retail and wholesale markets, the production of onions in the early kharif season is likely to drop for the State. According to the Commissionerate of Agriculture, area under onion cultivation in the early kharif season  reduced by 50 per cent compared to last year. 

The total area of cultivation of onion for the kharif season in the State for the year 2019 was 42,000 hectares, while in 2018 it was 96,000 hectares. 

The estimated production of onions for this year’s kharif season will be 5.46 lakh Metric Tonnes (MT) while last year it was 12 lakh MT. There is almost 50 per cent reduction in the production of onions.

The total area of onion cultivation in the State is 4.5 lakh hectares while for the rabi season the area for onion cultivation is 2.6 lakh hectares. The average area over 10 years of kharif season was around 62,000 hectares while for late kharif the average was 1.28 lakh hectares.

“Last year, there was hardly any returning monsoon and this year it was delayed. Therefore kharif sowing that happens in the month of June got delayed for about a month and also the area reduced and it is less than average area which is 62,000 hectares. The area reduced mostly in places like Nashik, Satara, Nagar and Solapur districts,” said an official.

He said almost 80 per cent of onions from storage of farmers have been consumed and the new crop of kharif season will come in the first week of November. He said, “Earlier, there used to be a supply of onions from the southern states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh but this year, it is also not there. Normally  by September 15, kharif season onions used to come in the market but this time due to delayed sowing, it will come in the first week on November. The situation will improve as supply from the other states starts by then and prices will normalise.”

However, onion price refused to go down in the State as on Wednesday too, wholesale price of onion at Nagpur Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) was raging at Rs 50 per kg while at Aurangabad and Khed it was at Rs 40 per kg. At Pune APMC the wholesale price of onion was Rs 38 per kg.

Enjoyed reading The Bridge Chronicle?
Your support motivates us to do better. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay updated with the latest stories.
You can also read on the go with our Android and iOS mobile app.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
The Bridge Chronicle
www.thebridgechronicle.com