Ritika
Nashik : In the last three years, onion prices were good in January, February and March; But this year since last year’s summer onions are still being sold in retail trade in large quantities. Will onion get good price this year too, onion growers have already started raising such a question. Farmers have also started thinking about whether it is possible to get summer onion production as much as last year from Nashik district, which is known as onion belt. Looking at the status of summer onion cultivation, it is clear that onion is the most reliable option for the farmers in Nashik.
Indian exporters are awaiting onion import license from the Philippines government. The challenge of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh is also for the onion growers of Maharashtra. The possibility of summer onions being ‘shifted’ to the ‘early’ summer onion field in Ahmed Nagar district to hit the market in mid-March cannot be ruled out, say market experts, as per the central and state government’s decision. There is a need to promote exports so that farmers can get good prices for onions.
Country onion has been sown in 51 thousand 321 hectares
Last year in Nashik district, Kharif crop was sown in 29 thousand, 338 hectare and summer onion was sown in 2 lakh, 16 thousand, 674 hectare area. This year in Kharif, 27 thousand, 609 hectare, desi onion has been sown in 51 thousand 321 hectare. Along with this, where the cultivation of summer onion has gained momentum, till now the cultivation of summer onion has reached 52 lakh hectare. In the remaining period, the agriculture department officials believe that summer onion cultivation is likely to reach last year.
800 containers of onions have been exported to Dubai
India-Pakistan do not have direct trade relations, but Pakistani traders have started buying Nashik onions from Dubai for their customers, which has a direct impact on exports to Dubai. In the last ten days, 800 containers of onions have been exported to Dubai. Indian exporters have been informed that 300 to 400 containers of onions are for customers in Dubai and the remaining containers will be sent to traders in Pakistan.
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Indian onion demand will increase for Pakistan
Due to demand from Pakistan, onion prices have reached $340 to $350 per container, while last year’s price was $290 to $295. As the march to the new onion market in Pakistan is about to begin, it seems that the demand for Indian onions for Pakistan will increase. Indian exporters have been informed that the Philippines government is likely to receive onion import license in the next few hours due to onion damage due to typhoon and heavy rains in the Philippines. Onion prices in the Philippines have reached Rs 1,000 per kg in Indian currency.
Onion imports are allowed in the Philippines from September to December, but the Philippines government has not yet issued onion import licenses due to the possibility of obtaining forty percent additional onion production in the Philippines. Onion exporter Vikas Singh has predicted that onion prices will remain stable in the local market in view of consumers in Philippines and Pakistan.
In Maharashtra, the area under onion creeping used to be from one to seven lakh hectares. Last year, onion was cultivated in two lakh 40 thousand hectares. Onion cultivation has been done in about one lakh 60 thousand hectare this year. But this year onion crop is expected to increase by 20 to 30 per cent, besides ‘early’ summer onion has been planted in some districts of the state on less onion area, so this year also the production of last year’s summer onion will be higher. Production is expected.
– Deepak Chavan, Agriculture Analyst
