Govt is offering grant to invest in an onion curing unit

Starting this month, the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security is offering planters a 40 per cent grant to enable them to invest in an onion curing unit.

These units are essential for the production of onions because they are used for the drying of the onions to ensure they last longer.

With the 40 per cent grant, onion planters will now have funding to invest in the drying unit. Installation costs range between Rs 180,000 and Rs 200,000.

“With a curing unit, onions can be stored in better conditions since the device helps remove moisture and prevent the development of diseases that affect product quality. The conservation of onion is improved,” explained the minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Satish Faugoo.

According to research, loss of onions can be substantial or between 40 and 50 per cent in the absence of good practices after harvest. “One of them is the curing of the bulbs after harvest.

These curing units contribute to increased production because they can process five tonnes of onion at once in four to six days, depending on the climate,” Faugoo said.