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Warning!!!: This video is about Syngenta’s hybrid variety. This website supports farmers using heritage seeds.
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Onion farming is rising in popularity in AFRICA because it is very affordable to start and run. This kind of agriculture has high returns. Again, onion farming can be done comfortably in greenhouses and open gardens. For you to succeed as an onion farmer, you have to apply various onion farming tips. These tips will enable you to enjoy massive profits from your onion farming efforts.
Onion Planting
Vegetable Farming in South Africa
Onions are propagated from seed, either by raising and transplanting seedlings or by direct seeding. It is generally more successful to raise and transplant seedlings than to sow directly. Seedbed soil needs to have a fine texture Seeds should be sown in rows to ensure enough ventilation and facilitate weed control. Furrows should be 15 cm apart and the seed should be sown at a depth of 10mm to 15mm.
Sowing densities should be between 1500 and 2500 seeds per 1m2. If the temperature is high at this time, cover the seeded area with a thin layer of grass mulch. Remove this mulch when the plants start to appear 7 to 14 days after sowing. When the seedlings are 8mm to 9mm in diameter and 12 cm to 20cm in height they are ready to transplant. Short-day onions should be ready for transplanting between 6 weeks and 8 weeks.
ONION FARMING IN KENYA
50 percent of the red onions in Kenya are imported from Tanzania, as indicated by Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) 2014 report. Kenyan Farmers have been doing their best to address the demand and close the gap, but there is still more supply to be achieved. This makes the Red Bulb Onion a very attractive commercial investment for the Kenyan market at the moment, since local production is not enough.
Major types of onions farmed in Kenya are bulb onions and spring onions. The best areas suited for farming being Karatina, Oloitoktok, Naivasha, Kieni, Emali and Mai Mahiu.
A beginner’s guide to becoming a successful onion farmer
Zambia: Onion farming requires a significant investment of time and resources. Onions are used in a vast array of savoury meals, which means that there is a demand for this type of crop. With the right knowledge and skills, your investment will pay off. The upside to onion farming is that it’s relatively clear-cut when compared to other types of crops. Before you get started, you’ll need equipment you can rely on. Find durable equipment for sale on AgriMag and enjoy great savings.
Boosting onion farmers’ income in West Africa
An example of trade facilitation in action shows how onion farmers added US$ 2.25 million to their income and lowered their dependence on imports.
by Alfred Braimah, Director, Private Sector Development, Economic Community of West African States
.JPG "Boosting onion farmers' income in West Africa.")
As the global trading environment becomes ever more competitive, the fragmentation and geographical separation of commodity value chains compound traditional challenges faced by exporters. No longer is it enough to meet quality and packaging standards, have storage facilities, possess the appropriate skills, and have access to technology; participation in value chains requires superior infrastructure and transport as well as swift crossing of borders.
Onion producers across West Africa thus have their work cut out for them: how to join forces to compete with imports from Europe and grab a higher share of regional markets. With a total production of 1.1 million tonnes, mainly in Niger (440,000 tonnes) and Nigeria (220,000 tonnes) but also in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, onion producers in the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) face high seasonality, post-harvest losses of about 40%, and various production-side constraints. This limits their ability to meet domestic and regional market needs, leaving the region dependent on substantial external imports of some 288,000 tonnes during off-season months from the European Union. A solution to the problem would require integrating their small markets into a larger regional economy that would result in lower transaction costs and are at the same time attractive to foreign investors. The answer to the challenge is improvements in trade facilitation.
