NEW DELHI: In its bid to ensure more availability of onion when supply dips, govt has decided to irradiate 5,000 tonne of the key kitchen item this year, which will improve shelf-life and reduce storage losses. Last year as a pilot 1,200 tonne of onion was irradiated using gamma rays in line with the protocol developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
BARC has developed onion-specific irradiation and cold storage system which extends shelf-life of onion harvested in summer months upto seven and a half months. The irradiation of onion reduces storage losses to only 10% compared to the normal level of 25%. Govt is also looking at expanding the irradiation facilities built in collaboration with BARC currently at Lasalgaon in Nashik.
Sources said govt plans to store the irradiated onion in cold stores located in areas such as Delhi-NCR, which face supply crisis during lean season rather than having them only in Nasik. “Since the irradiated onions need to be disposed off quickly after taking them out from cold stores, we need to keep them near consumption centres. Transporting them from part of the country to another causes more damage to the produce,” said a source.
This will reduce transportation losses.
Last month, govt instructed National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) and farmers’ cooperative Nafed to start procurement of 5 lakh tonne of onion from farmers at market price for the buffer. In 2023, Nafed and NCCF had bought 6.5 lakh tonne of onion from farmers for the buffer.
BARC has developed onion-specific irradiation and cold storage system which extends shelf-life of onion harvested in summer months upto seven and a half months. The irradiation of onion reduces storage losses to only 10% compared to the normal level of 25%. Govt is also looking at expanding the irradiation facilities built in collaboration with BARC currently at Lasalgaon in Nashik.
Sources said govt plans to store the irradiated onion in cold stores located in areas such as Delhi-NCR, which face supply crisis during lean season rather than having them only in Nasik. “Since the irradiated onions need to be disposed off quickly after taking them out from cold stores, we need to keep them near consumption centres. Transporting them from part of the country to another causes more damage to the produce,” said a source.
This will reduce transportation losses.
Last month, govt instructed National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) and farmers’ cooperative Nafed to start procurement of 5 lakh tonne of onion from farmers at market price for the buffer. In 2023, Nafed and NCCF had bought 6.5 lakh tonne of onion from farmers for the buffer.
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