The Department of Agriculture says plans are currently underway to produce 50% of Sri Lanka’s annual big onion requirement locally.

The Department said its main objective is to meet half of the country’s annual demand through the upcoming Yala season harvest.

Sri Lanka’s annual big onion consumption is estimated at around 320,000 metric tons.

The highest-ever big onion production in the country was recorded in 2014, when around 100,000 metric tons were harvested from approximately 6,000 hectares.

However, rising production costs and the sale of cheaper imported big onions in the local market have led many farmers to move away from big onion cultivation.

Against this backdrop, a special programme has been launched to encourage farmers to return to big onion cultivation, with the introduction of modern technology being a key focus.

Director of Projects and Training at the Department of Agriculture, P. Sisira Kumara, said steps are being taken to educate farmers on modern cultivation techniques aimed at increasing big onion yields per acre while reducing production costs.

He said the department expects these measures to help achieve its targeted production levels through the upcoming Yala season harvest.