India: Government to promote hybrid onions called Lalmi
While local variety of onions are grown by farmers in Moira, Aldona and many parts of Salcete taluka, the local production of onions is negligible. The local variety normally fetch a good price - 80 -90 per kg , as against those imported from outside - 30-40 per kg. GSHCL will promote a hybrid variety called Lalmi. Sources said that some farmers, who want to grow the new variety of onion, have already approached GSHCL. .
GSHCL has so far promoted and marketed local vegetables such as cluster bins, lady fingers, chillies and other leafy vegetables, besides having a network of horticulture kiosks selling vegetables procured from Belgaum. This would be the first time that GSHCL will market and promote onion cultivation.
Nelson Figueiredo, managing director of GSHCL, told TOI that Lalmi has been successfully grown in Goa. The experimental cultivation of this variety was done at Goa krishi vigyan kendr (KVK) at Old Goa and this variety has proved to be suitable for cultivation in Goa, he added.
Some farmers from Canacona, Salcete and Maina-Navelim in Bicholim, have shown willingness to cultivate the new variety, he stated, adding that they have chosen this variety because unlike locally grown onion, it is bigger in size.
Grown in the month of October-November, the onion crop matures within four to five months.
Figueiredo further informed that from April-October 2014, the corporation procured 175 tonnes of local vegetable, more than what they normally procured in the same period during previous years.
Source: indiatimes.com
