Government throws open grand onion challenge

NEW DELHI: In a first, the government has announced a “Grand Challenge” to develop technologies for primary processing, storage and valorisation of onions to tide over the perennial problem of its shortage during August-November, when prices usually go up. The challenge will focus on reducing damage of the key kitchen item considering that nearly 30-40% of the crop is lost during storage due to various reasons.
The consumer affairs ministry has written to more than a hundred universities, including technical universities, seeking participation of students, researchers and faculty members to participate in the challenge.

Short supply of onions and spike in prices have been a major concern of the government considering their political implications. On several occasions, the Centre has had to import onions to cool down domestic prices. This is despite the fact that the annual onion production in India has been around 260 lakh tonnes against the average consumption of about 156 lakh tonnes. Officials said huge loss in weight and damage due to rotting, sprouting and fungus are the major reasons for less availability of the item during lean seasons.
Though onion is grown in three seasons, the rabi crop harvested during March and May is the mainstay of India as it accounts for 65% of annual production. Normally, the price is lower during these months due to high supply. “It is critical for us to successfully store these rabi onions to maintain supply during lean months. The same crop must continue to meet consumer demand till October-November,” said an official.
According to the document shared by the consumer affairs ministry with the universities, improper storage systems of onion result in annual losses of around Rs 11,000 crore.
“So, the challenge is to find solutions to storage...,” a consumer affairs ministry official said.