Chief Minister's Onion Mission begins in Assam

With onion price touching Rs 90 to Rs 100 per kg, the Chief Minister's Onion Mission has been introduced in Assam to bring an additional 2000 hectare under scientific onion cultivation.

To be implemented by the state Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing, efforts would be made to produce 1,00,000 MT onion in Assam in 21 districts of the state through scientific cultivation, official sources said.

At present, the state produces only 25,000 MT onion, the sources said. Improved variety of onion seeds ‘Agrifound Light Red’ has been procured from the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation and distributed among select farmers groups which will cultivate a minimum of five ha land, the sources said. The Directorate will also take necessary action to establish ‘Onion Storage Houses’ to stock the onion.

Steps have also been taken to educate the concerned farmers regarding scientific onion cultivation with the Assam Agricultural University closely associated with the Mission, they added. The districts where the mission is on are Barpeta, Goalpara, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Nalbari, Kamrup( including Kamrup- Metropolitan), Darrang, Sonitpur, Nagaon, Morigaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sibsagar, Tinisukia, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Cachar, Karimganj, Baksa and Karbi Anglong.