Summer onion production may decline by 29% this season in Nashik district, but shortage risks unlikely

Nashik: Summer onion output in the district is likely to drop by about 29% this season due to a contraction in the area under cultivation and widespread crop damage caused by unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms between March 19 and April 2.Data from the state agriculture department showed that the area under summer onion cultivation in Nashik has reduced from 2.51 lakh hectares in the 2024-25 season (Dec-April) to 2.25 lakh hectares in 2025-26. In addition to the lower acreage, heavy rainfall accompanied by hailstorms damaged onion crops across nearly 44,000 hectares, significantly affecting yields.As a result, summer onion production in the district is projected to fall from about 58.84 lakh tonnes last year to nearly 41.63 lakh tonnes this season, according to agriculture department sources. Officials said the unseasonal weather not only caused extensive crop loss but also brought down productivity in other areas, with average yields declining from around 25 tonnes per hectare to about 23 tonnes per hectare.Maharashtra is among India's largest onion-exporting states, accounting for nearly 65% of the country's total onion exports, with Nashik district alone contributing around 90% of the state's exports. Vikas Singh, vice-president of the Horticulture Produce Exporters Association of India, told TOI that the Union agriculture ministry estimated an 11% decline in summer onion production nationwide. As per the first advance estimate, national summer onion output was expected to fall from 307. 7 lakh metric tonnes last year to about 277 lakh metric tonnes this year, he said.Singh said summer onions, harvested during March and April, typically see strong export demand between March and May. "Exports have, however, slowed this year due to geopolitical tensions linked to the ongoing Iran-US/Israel conflict. Shipments to Gulf and other markets have dropped sharply, while freight charges have surged from around $600 per container to nearly %7,500," Singh said. Each container carries roughly 30 metric tonnes of onions, making exports commercially unviable for many traders.Despite the expected fall in production, domestic markets are unlikely to face shortages. Singh said subdued exports would ensure sufficient onion availability within the country.Officials said kharif and late-kharif onions, grown between July and Nov and harvested from Oct to Feb, have a shelf life of less than a month, forcing farmers to sell them quickly. Summer onions, sown in Dec and Jan and harvested in March and April, can be stored for six to seven months, they said. Farmers usually hold these onions and release them into APMC markets based on their financial needs, they added.With no fresh onion crop available between May and mid-Oct, stored summer onions continue to meet market demand until the arrival of fresh kharif onions towards Oct-end.