Hyderabad: The Telangana government will enter into an agreement with Nasik-based National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF) in February for enhanced production of onion seed. As per the MoU, the NHRDF will provide starter seed of red (4), dark red and white varieties of onions for Telangana State.
A team of officers led by Telangana State Seeds Development Corporation Ltd (TSSDC) Managing Director K Kesavulu visited the NHRDF in Nasik to witnesses the work being done by the premier institution established by the National Agricultural Cooperative marketing Federation of India Ltd (Nafed) on Tuesday.
The MoU will be signed by the State Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy with an aim to provide quality onion seed to Telangana farmers so that onion production also increases in the State there by avoiding a situation of severe shortage of the essential daily commodity. The Telangana government is also looking to improve seed productivity of food grains, pulses and vegetables with the help of NHRDF.
The government believes that Telangana which could have made rapid strides in seed production was pushed back due to neglect in undivided Andhra Pradesh and now can find its place in the national level by taking up seed production of cereals, pulses, horticultural crops and onions in a big way.
Two season model
The proposed model of onion seed production includes production in two seasons i.e. Kharif and Rabi. Initially bulb (at the base of the plant) will be produced from seed in Kharif and seed from bulb in Rabi season. “There is tremendous scope for growing onion in Telangana. Hence TSSDC has decided to take up onion seed production in erstwhile Mahbubnagar, Adilabad, and Nizamabad districts. Initially, bulb production will be taken up at Wanaparthy in Rabi season then seed production in Kharif in Adilabad and Nizamabad,” Kesavulu said.
The TSSDC believes that by 2021 consumers in the State of Telangana would have enough onions available for consumption from local sources by increasing acreage in the State. “The onion seed will be provided to farmers on subsidy,” he added. The collaboration further offers a three-phased three-day-long training programme for 25 Telangana farmers each. They will be trained in seed production techniques. The research institution will also send its teams to Telangana to advise on pesticide and herbicide application, technological know-how of storage of onions.
Export opportunities
Even as India occupies the second position in onion production after China, Telangana needs to benefit from suitable climatic conditions for onion production. At present Maharashtra, Karnataka and MP produce most of the onions. If cultivated onion production guarantees an income of Rs 80,000 per acre. Telangana envisages that by next year the State will be able to export to other countries and also sell onions in other States by tapping inter-State marketing opportunities.
Source ( Telangana Today )