August 16, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka is preparing to significantly expand domestic big onion cultivation, with the Department of Agriculture setting its sights on producing half of the country’s annual requirement from local farms.
Officials say the immediate target is to secure around 50 per cent of national consumption through the harvest expected during the forthcoming Yala cultivation season. The initiative is aimed at reducing reliance on imported onions while providing stronger market opportunities for local growers.
The country consumes an estimated 320,000 metric tonnes of big onions each year. Although domestic production once reached considerably higher levels, cultivation has declined in recent years as farmers have struggled with rising input costs and competition from comparatively cheaper imported produce.
Sri Lanka’s record big onion harvest came in 2014, when farmers produced about 100,000 metric tonnes from roughly 6,000 hectares of cultivated land.
To reverse the decline, the Agriculture Department has launched a targeted programme designed to attract farmers back to the crop. Greater use of modern farming methods and improved production practices will form a central part of the initiative.
P. Sisira Kumara, Director of Projects and Training at the Department of Agriculture, said farmers would be trained in techniques intended to improve yields while keeping cultivation expenses under control.
The department expects that wider adoption of these methods, together with renewed farmer participation, will help substantially increase local output during the upcoming Yala season and move the country closer to its 50% self-sufficiency target.