Onion farmers in Odisha, India, are earning more and losing less of their harvest following a two-year project to strengthen the state’s onion value chain.
Across six districts, improved varieties adapted to wet- and dry-season conditions and better crop management helped farmers produce more, while better harvesting, storage and processing helped preserve more of what they grew. Stronger connections with buyers also opened new routes to market.
Together, these efforts contributed to an estimated 45% increase in farmer incomes and reduced postharvest losses by up to 40%.
The results come from Phase 2 of the Onion Value Chain Improvement Project, led by the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) from 2023 to 2025. Supported by the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and implemented in partnership with the Directorate of Horticulture, Government of Odisha, the project tackled the onion value chain as a whole – from what farmers plant and how they grow it to what happens after harvest and how they sell it.
Improving production
The work involved helping farmers identify suitable onion varieties and improve how they produced under local conditions. The project established 52 varietal cafeterias – field trials where farmers could compare and assess different onion varieties side by side.
It also supported farmer-led seed production, helping strengthen local access to quality planting material. More than 2,300 field demonstrations were conducted and more than 6,600 farmers trained, with project activities covering more than 740 hectares.
Farmers were introduced to practices including raised-bed nurseries, rain shelters for nursery preparation, line sowing, improved transplanting, integrated pest and disease management, and better crop management.
The results were impressive: Average dry-season onion yields increased by almost 70% from 15 to 25.4 tonnes per hectare, while wet-season yields increased from 13 to 17.6 tonnes per hectare, an increase of more than 35%.
Ajit Kumar Behera, from Kandhamal district, found that changes to the way he established and managed his crop made rainy-season onion-growing more productive. “Adopting best practices like raised bed nurseries, line sowing, and effective pest management has been key to my success,” he said. “These methods kept my losses low and yields high, earning more profit, especially during the rainy season.” Pest management also helped farmers cut production costs, with Mardharaj Behera finding that the use of sticky traps and border crops helped him reduce pesticide use and save money.
In Nuapada district, Bhitabi Nial saw the income potential firsthand. After 35 years of farming, she began growing rainy-season onions through the project on a 0.04-hectare plot, earning ₹7,500 (approximately US$78) on her first attempt.
Protecting the harvest
However, producing more onions does not automatically mean that farmers will earn more. Once harvested, onions can lose significant value through poor curing, handling, sorting and storage. To tackle this, the project introduced improved practices and low-cost ventilated storage structures, contributing to reductions in postharvest losses of up to 40%.
For Babaji Behera from Deogarh district, training in better postharvest management changed his options. Through the project, he also received an onion trimming machine that removes dried roots and tops after harvest, helping him prepare onions for safer storage and sale. “Earlier, we used to sell onions for just ₹5 to ₹10 (approx. USD 0.05–$0.10) per kilogram because most of the produce would spoil before reaching the market,” he said. “We didn’t know how much difference proper handling could make.” Better storage allowed Babaji to hold his dry-season onions rather than selling them immediately, eventually selling them for ₹30 per kilogram.
Strengthening routes to market
Giving farmers the ability to store onions can provide greater flexibility over when they sell – but storage only has value if farmers can reach buyers. To support this, over the course of 12 meetings, the project connected growers with 46 potential buyers and created opportunities for collective marketing.
In Sinapali village in Kalahandi district, farmer Ganadipa Rana and other growers formed a group to pool their onion harvests after testing different varieties in the field. Combining their harvest made it easier to attract buyers seeking larger volumes. The group eventually sold onions for ₹45 per kilogram, with buyers collecting the produce directly from farms or home storage units.
The project also explored opportunities to add value through small-scale processing. Demonstrations introduced farmers to dehydrated onions, onion flakes and onion powder. Ganadipa experimented with drying onions and producing onion powder to extend shelf life and explore another potential source of income. “It was simple to make and easy to store,” he said. “If we got the right equipment and support, we could turn this into a small business.”
Taking the approach further
Efforts to take the project’s approaches beyond its original intervention villages had reached more than 6,900 farmers in non-intervention villages by the end of 2025. Overall, more than 12,600 farmers were reached through demonstrations, cluster-based activities and wider scaling efforts. Farmer clusters and Farmer Producer Organizations helped create stronger routes to markets, while local seed production provided another opportunity for farmers to participate in the onion value chain.
For Sanjukta Pradhan in Kalahandi district, becoming a seed producer brought a new sense of ownership. “Now, when people come to buy seeds from me, I feel proud. It’s my product,” she said.
The experience in Odisha shows why increasing production alone is not enough: Better varieties and crop management can increase yields, but some of those gains can be lost without effective harvesting and storage, and farmers need access to markets if they are to turn what they produce into income.
By addressing these different parts of the value chain together, the initiative has helped farmers produce more, lose less after harvest and gain more options for storing, selling and adding value to their onions.
Read the full publication: Impacts and innovations: Strengthening the onion value chain in India
The Onion value chain improvements in Odisha – Phase 2 project is implemented by the World Vegetable Center in Odisha, India, with the Directorate of Horticulture, Government of Odisha, funded by Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (DA & FW), Government of India.
This work aligns with the Action Areas on Food Safety and Loss Reduction, and Climate Resilience, in the WorldVeg Global Strategy 2026-2033. (Download｜Flipbook)
