Farmers in Bengal will cultivate onion in Kharif season, government is going to take these steps, know

The Food Processing and Horticulture (FPH) department of West Bengal is taking several measures to encourage onion cultivation among farmers in the state, particularly during the Kharif season, to bridge the gap between demand and production.

A senior officer from the FPH department mentioned, "We will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Horticulture Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF) to establish a Center of Excellence (COE) for onions. We have requested NHRDF to provide us with high-quality and adulteration-free Kharif onion seeds produced in their laboratory before the Kharif season. Although the cost is slightly higher, negotiations are ongoing. We hope that the purchase of these seeds will boost onion production during the Kharif season."

According to a senior officer from the department, farmers in Bengal prefer cultivating crops based on their choices and are open to diversification. Therefore, encouraging them to cultivate onions poses a challenge. In the past few years, the state has successfully cultivated the 'AgriFound Dark Red' variety of onions during the Kharif season, particularly witnessing success in Murshidabad and Bankura districts.

However, the scale of cultivation required to reduce the gap between demand and production has not been achieved. Onion cultivation during the Kharif season is not as widespread as needed. Consequently, the state relies heavily on imports, mainly from Nashik, certain regions of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Bihar, leading to increased prices. This year, onion prices remained high for almost two months, with a slight decline observed only in the past week.

To meet the annual demand of approximately 13 lakh metric tons, the state imports around 5 lakh metric tons of onions annually. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been advocating for a reduction in onion imports, promoting self-reliance in cultivation. Currently, the state is highly dependent on 'Sukhsagar' onions (a white variety) for cultivation during the winter season, and it forms a significant part of the state's onion production.