Sell small onion in June to get better prices: TNAU to farmers

COIMBATORE: As prices of small onion are expected to increase substantially in June, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has advised farmers to store and sell their crop next month. 

An econometric analysis by TNAU's Agri Marketing Intelligence and Business Promotion Centre in the Dindigul market on prices during the last 15 years revealed that they would rule around Rs 2,300 to Rs 2,500 per quintal at farm level during June. 

The expected export demand will also keep the prices higher, which would be more than the cost of storage and loss, including interest charges, it said. 

Hence, farmers could store and sell onion to get higher returns, it added. 
At present, farm gate prices hover around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per quintal and there are chances of exports picking up next month, TNAU said. 

Onion is grown in 0.38 lakh hectares in Tamil Nadu, with production standing at 4.29 lakh tonnes in 2012-13. 

This was 1.61 per cent higher in area and 22.8 per cent lesser in production compared to last year, which stood at 0.37 lakh hectares and 5.56 lakh tonnes, it said.