Due to pungency and availability round the year Indian onions are very famous. During year 2017-2018 country produced 21.4 million tonnes. As a result, India ranks as second largest onion growing country in the world. Nashik is one of the most famous onion market in the world.
Onion Harvesting :
The cultivation of onion is highly technical and pretty much depends on climate conditions. Onions have two crop cycles, first harvesting starts in November to January and second harvesting from January to May.
There has been wide improved varieties developed according the region and season. Onion is typically classified into three types as per the presence of its distinctive flavour and pungency. Consequently onions are commercially classified based on skin colour Red, White and Yellow.
Red Onion :
Indian Red Onions are attractive. They have shiny red-tinged flesh with mild taste. Therefore red fresh onions are used in salads and sandwiches. There is wide range of varieties of red onions. Below are some export quality red onions –
- Agrifound Dark Red.
- Pusa Ratnar.
- Agrifound Light Red.
- Bhima Shakti.
- Agrifound Rose.
Yellow Onion :
It is the most commonly known variety. Yellow onion have yellow brownish papery skin and white flesh. It taste strong cause of high sulphur content. Furthermore, It has more pungent flavour and smell. Some popular export quality yellow onions are –
- Tana F1.
- Granex 55.
- HA 60.
White Onion :
White onions have white skin with mild white flesh. These are slightly milder than the yellow onion. Famous white onions are –
- Pusa White Round.
- Bhima Shubra.
- Agrifound White.
Onion Packaging for Exports :
The packaging size is completely depends on the importing country requirement. The bag used are mesh bags (netted poly bags) or jute bags. Generally there are 60 fills per 10 kg bag of onion.
source : APEDA
Health Benefits :
- Heart Health : The sulphur in an onion acts as a natural blood thinner. Therefore it prevents blood platelets from aggregating. The quercetin in onions also help in preventing plaque buildup in the arteries. Hence eating onion can reduce risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Anti-inflammatory : The vegetable is also effective anti-inflammatory agents. Also, they relax the airway muscles and provide relief to asthma symptoms.
- Immune System : Onions helps in reducing allergic reactions.
- Cancer : It also reduces gastric cancer risk. Also it help with side effects from cancer treatment.
- Digestion : Onions are rich source of fibre which promotes good digestion.
- Regulating blood sugar : The chromium in onions regulates blood sugar. The sulphur in onion triggers insulin production in body.
- Bone Density : Regular consumption of fresh onions helps in improving bone density in older women.
- Hairs : The fresh onions are very good at follicle nourishment. Even more it restore lost nutrient to scalp. Onion lends a healthy shine to hair. Similarly it reverse the premature greying.