Small onion farmers to win big gains as govt shows way to overseas market

Given the volatile price that shallots command, and the fact that they perish quickly, farmers have been looking at ways of getting additional income from small onions. The recent, value-added initiative by the Indian Institute of Crop Training has come as booster shot for the farmers.  They are currently being trained on making small onion pickle, paste, power and peeled onion preserve, and packages suitably for Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka. 

“India is the second largest country in production of small onions, which has become an essential commodity today. In order to meet the demand in India and abroad, technical knowledge is the need of the hour for the farmers. Therefore, we have begun to conduct special awareness programmes, and practical training sessions for the farmers on how to bring value addition to their cultivated product,” said Director C Anandharamakrishnan, who imparted the training. The new initiative is aimed at augmenting the income of the farmers. 

“Optimising on cultivated onions would facilitate Perambalur, the major producer of small onion in the state, to become a universal trade centre for small onion”, Anandharamakrishnan further said. Irur Natesan, the district president of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam and Small Onion Farmers Association, said small onion is cultivated in around 20,000 acres of land in Perambalur. “The concept of value- added products out of small onion would get the farmers good profit when the price comes down to Rs 10 per kg. 

We are told that the onion pickle can be preserved for six months, while the paste and powder would stay for two months and the preserved peeled onion can be kept for one month. This will definitely be a greater boon for the farmers of Perambalur,” Natesan said. “The demand is more for the value added products in foreign countries,” said P Chandran, Deputy Director (Agri), Perambalur.

‘Govt should fix onion price: 

Meanwhile, farmers want the government to fix a procurement price of onion on a par with other essential commodities.  “We urge the government to fix a price for small onion as it is an essential commodity and venerated as ‘kitchen queen’”, said R Raja Chidambaram, Secretary, Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam.