15 April
With the fall in onion prices in the Kyaukse market of Mandalay Region this harvest season due to excess production, local growers said they are expecting lower profits.
Currently, the marketable varieties of onion are fetching about K750-K1,100 per viss (3.6 pounds) in Kyaukse. Last year, growers reaped a handsome profit from the sale of onions, which were priced at K750-K2,200 per viss.
U Than Kywe, an onion grower from Bonkwin Village, said the region had seen a significant increase in onion acreage this year because growers had made healthy profits last year.
Onion is a popular cooking staple in Myanmar. Rainy-season onions are planted in July and August, and the crop is ready to be harvested in November and December. Winter onions are normally cultivated in November and December, and harvested in March and April.
Growers in Kyaukse Township cultivate not only onions, but also other seasonal crops, such as chilli, banana, sesame, and turmeric, on a commercial scale. Onion is one of Myanmar’s export items, and the country exports onions mainly to neighboring China and Thailand.
It imports onions chiefly from China and India.—Thet Maung (Translated by Khaing Thanda Lwin)
