The white onion of Alibag, which comes under the Raigad district of Maharashtra, has got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. The tag has been given for the sweetness of this onion, according to the government gazette.
“The GI tag gives a unique identity to the white onion, which has medicinal qualities and is being cultivated in a traditional way for a long time. Farmers will directly get benefits as the white onion will get the premium price because of the GI tag” stated Ganesh Hingmire, Chairman of Great Mission Group Consultancy (GMGC).
According to the farmers of Alibag, traditional and genuine seeds are bring used to grow the onions, and due to the geo-climate condition of the area it has developed a unique taste, flavour, and shape over the years.
Exports of onion from Maharashtra declined to 5.8 lakh tonnes in FY 2022 compared to 7.9 lakh tonnes in FY’21. This is attributed to the rise of the onion prices in the domestic market with compared to the export prices, which attracted farmers to sell the produce domestically. With the GI tag, white onion farmers may be able to get a bigger export market, Hingmire stated.
Originally published in The Hindu Business Line
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