Onion exports touch record Rs 2,877 crore in 2013/14

India's onion exports jumped by a fourth to a record Rs 2,877 crore in 2013/14, a year when consumers forked out as much as Rs 100 for a kilogram of the bulb.
Export volume, however, dropped 26 per cent to 1.35 million tonnes in the year ended March 31 from 1.82 million tonnes the year before, according to data from the Nashik-based National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF). The previous record for onion exports was Rs 2,834 crore in 2009/10 when the country shipped 1.87 million tonnes.
The average value realised in the export market rose to Rs 21,183 per tonne in 2013/14 from Rs 12,590 a tonne in 2012/13. This helped boost the value of exports.
A monthly analysis of the data shows that the first quarter of the financial year (April to June 2013) accounted for 40 per cent of exports. However, as domestic prices started firming up, the government discouraged exports and shipments declined August onwards. The government increased the minimum export price of the bulb from $650 a tonne in September 2013 to $1,150 a tonne in November. The country also imported onions in small quantities to boost availability.
As domestic availability improved and prices came down after the harvest of the rabi crop, the government started relaxing export prices and finally removed the cap in early March. But this has not helped exports. In March, exports were 100,000 tonnes, down sharply from February's 150,000 tonnes.
R.P. Gupta, Director at NHRDF, says demand for onions in the international market is weak.
"The onion crop has been affected due to unseasonal rains. These are not fit for exports as there is a large time lag between export and actual consumption," he says. In a way, it is good news for domestic consumers. Onion is now available for Rs 25 to Rs 30 per kg. India produces about 16 million tonnes onion annually but consumes only 10-11 million tonnes.

Saving a tradition from going to seed

Large tracts of brackish water fields, suitable for traditional paddy and shrimp cultivation, in the north Malabar region, have been remaining fallow for some time now. Consequently, some of the traditional varieties of paddy with unique qualities, which used to be grown here, are becoming extinct.
(Traditional paddy and shrimp cultivation in the northern districts is known as Kaipad farming and in the south it is Pokkali farming).
But, some of the seeds, conserved in small quantities, are being planted in an effort to revive the traditional varieties.
There are 4,100 hectares of Kaipad fields in Kasaragod, Kannur, and Kozhikode districts. Kannur district has the largest extent of fields.
Paddy seeds used in Kaipad farming are resistant to salinity. These have not been conserved, except for individual efforts by some farmers and groups. The traditional seeds once prevalent were ‘kuthir,’ ‘orkayma,’ ‘orthadiyan,’ ‘chovverian,’ ‘orpandy,’ ‘kuttoosan,’ ‘kandarkutty,’ and ‘balivithu.’ Only ‘kuthir’ and ‘orkayma’ are still being cultivated by farmers.
Chemical fertilizers are not used for the cultivation of these varieties as well as hybrid varieties such as Ezhome-I, II, and III developed by scientists at the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU)’s College of Agriculture at Padannakkad in Kasaragod.
The intervention of the Agency for Aquaculture Development, Kerala (ADAK) for the promotion of traditional paddy and shrimp cultivation systems has helped in the revival of some Kaipad seeds and fields, says Dineshan Cheruvat, ADAK Deputy Director and Manager of the agency’s fish farm at Eranholi, near Thalassery.
A self-help group of beneficiaries, under the ADAK’s integrated traditional farming system, recently gave a tonne of traditional seed varieties to farmers in Ernakulam district, he says.
“A Kaipad farmer recently gave me a handful of ‘orthadiyan’ and ‘chovverian’ seeds, now rare. Efforts are now being made to multiply these at the fish farm,” says Mr. Cheruvat.

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