Mavens Biotech, a research-based agriculture input company, plans to introduce high-yielding hybrid onion seeds this rabi season.
It intends to produce five tonnes of ‘Pune Furshungi’ type onion seeds on a pilot basis for the ensuing rabi season. These seeds have the potential to yield 20-25 per cent more output compared with the conventional variety.
Rahul Fulfagar, Director, Mavens Biotech, said the company plans to set up a quality seed production centre to cater to the growing need for quality planting material.
Among onion growing states, Gujarat tops the list with an average yield of 24 tonnes a hectare, followed by Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar with 23 tonnes and 20 tonnes, respectively. The average onion yield has been hovering about 15 tonnes a hectare for the last several years.
With production of over 15 million tonnes of onion annually, India is ranked the second largest producer in the world after China.
The average yield for a hectare in India is among the lowest with Korea at 67 tonnes, US at 57 tonnes, Spain 53 tonnes, Netherland 49 tonnes and China 22 tonnes.