Climate change hits Sindh's onion production: experts

Experts at SAU highlighted climate change, pests, and lack of crop rotation as factors affecting onion yield.

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HYDERABAD:

From culinary tastes to therapeutic benefits, onion is known to be one of the best nutritious vegetable. Sindh being an agricultural province has been until recently contributing up to 38% of the country's total onion harvest.

However, experts at a seminar at Sindh Agricultural University (SAU) on Monday, voiced concern that climate change has entailed a significant decline in onion yield. Vice Chancellor of SAU Dr Altaf Ali Siyal underlined that the onion cultivation in Sindh is facing challenges from climatic shifts, insects and other biotic factors.

He believed that advanced research, genetic breeding and eco-friendly farming practices can help mitigate the impediments to desirable harvest. Executive Director of Agriculture Research Sindh Dr Wali Muhammad Baloch argued that a lack of crop rotation practice in the province is also one of the contributing factors behind the drop in onion production.

Director of the Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA) Dr Mehboob Ali Siyal said Pakistan ranked among the top ten onion-producing countries. He offered collaboration to the SAU and other organisations to work in concert in order to address the production challenges. Director of the Seed Development and Production Center Dr Zahoor Ahmed Soomro presented a paper on the nutritional importance of onions and seed development.