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A meeting to review the status of onion stock and its arrival in the markets was held in Agriculture Ministry, here today. Agriculture Secretary Smt. Radha Singh chaired the meeting.
It was found overall, that market arrivals and the stock of onions was adequate in most States which would be further augmented by arrival of kharif crop in the coming weeks. This would more than offset the storage losses that have been reported in the western and central parts of the country because of high humidity, variation in temperatures.
According to National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF), Nasik, Maharashtra, the nodal agency for production and supply of onion, it was made clear that the onion arrivals at Azadpur Mandi, during September, till 7th day, are 69,510 quintals against last year during the same periods’ 42,100 quintals. During this year’s August 307,810 quintals have arrived at the same market as compared to last year’s same period 262,060 quintals. As well as, onions arriving in the Maharashtra markets are of good quality. About 50 per cent stored stocks are available with farmers and traders.
NHRDF said that production for the year 2004-05 is expected 5942.50 thousands MTs. During the year 2005 the onion storage is estimated at 18.90 lakh MTs against last years 20.75 lakh MTs. But at the same time, exports are also less this year down to 276,038 MTs from April to August, compared to same period of last year’s exports of 379,441 MTs.
Fresh crop arrivals have started from July in Coimbatore region of Tamil Nadu and from second fortnight of August in Chitradurga/Chilkheri/Vasadurga areas of Karnataka and Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh. The kharif onion grown through bulblets in Rajasthan will be expected to start arriving in the market from mid October, while the delayed crop from Maharashtra and Gujarat is expected in the markets from November end onwards.
RC:HK-onion-070905
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