Red onion season in India has started with Dussehra celebrations. Notably, the transition from pink to red onions typically picks up in October. With pink onions reaching their peak in March and April across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, stay in storehouses, and continue selling through December. Following the footprints are the red onions first appearing in Karnataka in August. Experts in this industry, this year are positive as both pink and red onions have good availability in the market owing to their higher production than the previous seasons.
Maharashtra’s hub of Nashik launches the onion season in October with Dussehra rituals in local markets. Rajasthan comes next, marking geographic milestones for the red onion harvest.
Farmers in Nashik Kicks off Onion Season in India with the Celebration of Dusshera on 2nd October
Farmers in Nashik kicked off the onion season in India post the celebration of Dusshera on 2nd October by bringing their first red onions to market, blending business with tradition. In this context, expert from the industry said that “Growers start the red onion season with gratitude and rituals on the auspicious day of Dusshera.”
Shvam Dhumal, Director at fresh produce exporter Agroindi EXIM Pvt Ltd., based in Maharashtra said that both production and quality of onions produced this year are above average. Dhumal also predicts a stable price performance over the next weeks, supported by a stable supply of onions from India and Turkey.
Two Sides of a Coin- Onion Prices Crash to Rock Bottom in Karnataka
Bengaluru however is facing a big turmoil, with onion prices dropping below Rs 10 per kg this festive season, and procurement rates falling to Rs 700-1,500 per quintal in the open market, compared to last year’s Rs 4,000-7,000. This sharp decline has once again raised the issue of government intervention with a minimum support prices (MSPs). In this context, farmers organisations are preparing to hold a statewide agitation.
Normally, Karnataka exports onions to West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, and markets abroad such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However good produce during the Kharif season made the importing states self-sufficient, prompting Karnataka to halt exports. Farmers in Vijayanagar, Ballari, Chitradurga, and Davanagere have refrained from harvesting, while harvested onions are decaying due to inadequate storage facilities.