Monthly advisory of onion and garlic crop for the month of September 2025"Onion is an important commercial crop which can improve livelihood of poor farmers. Though Mirzapur has congenial climatic conditions, cultivation was limited to rabi season at small level. We aimed to prove that kharif onion is 3-4 times more profitable than traditionally grown groundnut."
Initially, several interaction meetings were conducted with progressive farmers in collaboration with Seva International and GK Research Development Foundation. An Onion Awareness Camp was organized on 12 December, 2017 to create awareness and enhance the knowledge level of farmers in Mirzapur, Varanasi, Ghazipur and adjoining areas.
The goal was to replace low-yield local varieties (10-15 t/ha) with high-performance ICAR-DOGR varieties like Bhima Super and Bhima Dark Red, while introducing modern techniques like raising early kharif onion through sets technology.
I. Capacity Building & Trainings
| Date | Topic of Training | Beneficiaries |
|---|---|---|
| 12 December, 2017 | Onion Awareness Camp | 50 |
| 2 June, 2018 | Kharif onion production technology | 50 |
| 10 March, 2019 | Kharif onion production technology | 40 |
| 10 June, 2019 | Raising early kharif onion through sets technology | 60 |
| 23 November, 2019 | Improved cultivation of onion | 60 |
II. Field Demonstrations
| Season & Activity | Onion Varieties | Demos | Seeds (kg) | Beneficiaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kharif 2018-19 | Bhima Super, Bhima Dark Red | 20 | 40 | 20 |
| Rabi 2018-19 | Bhima Shakti | 20 | 40 | 20 |
| Kharif 2019-20 | Bhima Super, Bhima Dark Red | 50 | 100 | 50 |
| Sets Technology (Kharif) | Bhima Dark Red | 20 | 250 | 20 |
| Rabi 2019-20 | Bhima Kiran | 30 | 60 | 30 |
III. Economic Impact & Success Stories
Mr. Virendra Kumar
Jalalpur Mafi, Chunar (UP)
Mrs. Geeta Devi
Bagahi, Chunar (UP)
| Performance Data (Kharif 2019-20) | Variety | Yield (q/Acre) | Rate (Rs/kg) | Total Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Santosh Kumar Singh | Bhima Dark Red | 48.57 | 56.7 | Rs. 2,55,238 |
| Mr. Manoj Kumar Singh | Bhima Dark Red | 50.79 | 44.0 | Rs. 2,03,587 |
| Mr. Dilip Kumar Singh | Bhima Dark Red | 93.6 | 36.0 | Rs. 3,07,270 |
Traditional vs Modern Gain
Traditionally, farmers grow Groundnut yielding ~9 q/acre with a profit of ~Rs. 21,000/acre. Success in kharif onion has proven to be 3-4 times more profitable, with some farmers reaching Rs. 4.80 lakh per acre.
