The Department of Agriculture has launched an initiative to increase domestic big onion production to meet 50% of the country's annual demand during the upcoming Yala season, amid declining farmer participation in cultivation.
Sri Lanka's Department of Agriculture is pursuing an ambitious plan to produce half of the nation's annual big onion requirement through local cultivation during the upcoming Yala season. With annual consumption estimated at approximately 320,000 metric tons, the department aims to generate around 160,000 metric tons domestically to reduce reliance on imports.
The country's onion farming sector has faced significant challenges in recent years. While the highest production on record occurred in 2014 with 100,000 metric tons harvested from roughly 6,000 hectares, farmer participation has declined substantially. According to the Department of Agriculture, rising production costs combined with competition from cheaper imported onions have discouraged many cultivators from continuing big onion farming.
To reverse this trend, authorities have established a special programme targeting farmers with incentives to return to onion cultivation. P. Sisira Kumara, Director of Projects and Training at the Department of Agriculture, emphasized that modernization forms the cornerstone of this initiative. The department is providing training on contemporary farming methods designed to improve yields per acre while simultaneously reducing production expenses, with the expectation that these interventions will enable the targeted production levels to be achieved in the coming season.
