Onions

Onion (Allium Cepa L) is one of the important condiments widely used in all households all the year round. The green leaves and immature and mature bulbs are eaten raw or used in preparation of vegetables. Onions are used in soups, sauces and for seasoning foods. The small bulbs one pickled in vinegar.

Onion is commercially grown in Pakistan on an area of 131.4 thousand hectares with the production of 1.8 million tones. The major onion growing districts are Kasur and Vehari, in Punjab; Hyderabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Dadu , Badin, N. Feroze, Ghotki and Shikarpur in Sindh; Swat and Dir in NWFP and Chaghi, Kharan, Kalat, Nasirabad, Mastung, Killa Saifullah, Khuzdar, Turbat and Jaffarabad in Balochistan.

Onion bulb is rich in phosphorus, calcium and carbohydrates. The pungency in onion is due to a volatile oil known as allyl-propyl disulphide.
Onion is an important crop in all continents with world production of about 25 million tonnes. There has been a progressive increase in area and production of onion in Pakistan. In 1998-99, the area increased to 84.3 thousand hectare, production 1138.2 thousand tonnes and yield was 13.5 tonnes/ha. The data since 1993-94 one as follows.