Context:
Government decided to release onions from the 300,000-tonne buffer as part of the price stabilization fund (PSF) to cool onion prices.
Reasons for Inflationary trend in Onion prices:
- Late onset of the monsoon.
- Low shelf life (how long does onion last)
- Possible decline in Rabi areas this season for Onion.
- Low storage infrastructure
- Supply chain obstacles.
- Steps taken – Irradiation of onion by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to increase shelf life.
In case of onions, they are exposed to gamma ray irradiation which helps in effective preservation by preventing them from sprouting, thus extending the shelf life and reducing spoilage.
About Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF):
- Government has been maintaining onion buffer under the PSF to check the volatility in prices of onion.
- A Central Corpus Fund.
- Maintained by – Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC).
- Set up under – Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Famers Welfare (DAC&FW)
- A Central Sector Scheme.
- Transferred to Department of Consumer Affairs (2016)
- Fund management –Price Stabilization Fund Management Committee (PSFMC).
- Working – Procurement of selected produce, maintenance of buffer stocks and regulated release into the market.
About Onion:
- A hardy cool-season biennial but usually grown as annual crop.
- Top producer State – Maharashtra
- Other Major producers – Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Telangana.
- A temperate crop but can be grown under temperate, tropical and subtropical climate.
- Weather Conditions –
- 70% relative humidity
- Average Annual Rainfall – 650 to 750 mm
- Temperature – Vegetative phase (13-24˚C) and bulb development (16-25˚C)
- Soils – Sandy loam, clay loam, silt loam and heavy soils
- Do not thrive in soils having pH below 6.0.
Operation Greens is a price fixation scheme that aims to ensure farmers are given the right price for their produce which focuses on organized marketing of Tomatoes, Onions and Potatoes (TOP vegetables). It is implemented by Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
Source: Livemint
Previous Year Question
“The crop is subtropical in nature. A hard frost is injurious to it. It requires at least 210 frost-free days and 50 to 100 centimeters of rainfall for its growth. A light well-drained soil capable of retaining moisture is ideally suited for the cultivation of the crop.” Which one of the following is that crop?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020 Prelims]
(a) Cotton
(b) Jute
(c) Sugarcane
(d) Tea
