Kharif boost to onion cultivation

BY A STAFF REPORTER: In a significant development to boost onion cultivation and bring down prices, the West Bengal government has decided to initiate kharif onion cultivation. Speaking exclusively with ANM News, senior officials of the food processing and horticulture department, informed that 1.8 metric tonnes of onion seeds have passed the state and national seed germination test and distributed among farmers in ten districts of the state.

The department secretary Subrata Gupta is monitoring the progress and informed that 566 onion storages have been constructed and another 595 is expected to be completed shortly. Officials mentioned that the target is to produce 450 metric tonnes of onions by next summer. Earlier onions were cultivated only in the winter season.

The state currently has a demand of 13 lakh metric tonne of onions but supply to the state market is only 9 lakh metric tonne. So far the state has not introduced kharif onion cultivation but to overcome the shortage the state food processing and horticulture department has decided to initiate talks with farmers and start production. Production is expected to start in six months. According to experts, kharif onion stay edible within three months of their production.