Farmers in the vegetable cultivation hub of Idukki’s Kanthallur have started taking up cultivation of onions.
The rain-shadow region is a hub of tropical, sub-tropical and temperate crops and is famous for cool season fruits and vegetables such as hill garlic, heirloom beans and even commercial strawberry.
There has been a constant demand from farmers and extension officials in Kanthallur for assessing the potential of cultivating onions on a commercial scale there. Scientists at Kerala Agricultural University initiated research on this front three years ago. The challenge was to identify the ideal cropping season and production practices to raise the crop economically at the high altitude of 1,000-1,500 m above the mean sea level (MSL).
