Program launched to enhance onion cultivation

Tuesday, 4 December 2012 00:25 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Ministry of Agriculture Ministry launched several programs to enhance big onion and red onion cultivation to meet the local demand. The Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane said that red onion will be cultivated on 117 acres and big onion on 257 acres under these programs.

The Minister said that his ministry will implement a three-year project in all districts except the Western Province are to bring new areas under cultivation and resort to off-season cultivation of onion to meet the local demand throughout the year and thereby save the foreign exchange now being drained for the import of these commodities.

This program initially implemented in the Matale district has now been extended to cover Mahaweli areas in the Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala and Badulla districts. Farmers willing to undertake this cultivation will be selected and they will be provided with technology, seeds and other assistance.

The Minister also stated that farmers with mother bulbs are encouraged to use same while facilitating others to buy the same from farmers having excess produce. He said that the new seed producers are provided with mother bulbs to the maximum of 250 grams per one farmer.

He said that in addition to this, fungicides, polythene to protect onion flowers from rain and frost, fishing nets for covering to prevent flowers from falling, transport facilities for vernalisation, packing materials and racks to store production are also provided. Accordingly, farmers and officials are trained to make this undertaking a success.

The Minister further said that the target is to vernalise 400,000 mother bulbs in 2012. He said that a group of 12 big onion farmers and two officers undertook a study tour organised by the National Horticulture Crop and Research Development foundation of India (NHRDF) this year with the objective of enhancing the onion production in the country.

He also said that the visit resulting in success and it helped to produce 22,000 kilograms of big onion seed locally benefiting 900 farmers. The Ministry also plans to produce 450,000 kilograms of big onions next year with a financial target of Rs. 20 million.