Onions finally back in the ring

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is aiming to achieve self-sufficiency in onion production by reducing its dependence on imports and strengthening domestic cultivation of red onions, according to Datuk Dr Mohamad Zabawi Abdul Ghani.

The director-general of the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) stated that large-scale planting is expected to begin as early as next year.

He mentioned that their objective is to enhance the supply of red onions in the Malaysian market, and Mardi has introduced three new shallot varieties named BAW-1, BAW-2, and BAW-3 during the Mardi Tech Show 2023.

These achievements resulted from extensive research efforts, which included collecting genetic material from local markets, seed companies, international research agencies, and previous seed collections from earlier studies, added Mohamad Zabawi.

He further explained that the BAW-1 type, which is 25-35mm in size and bright red, is suitable for mineral and bris soils.

In contrast, BAW-2 is pink and has a medium size of 28-32mm, making it well-suited for mineral and peat soils, while BAW-3 has a pink hue and smaller sizes varying from 18-25mm, making it adaptable to bris, mineral, and peat soils.

According to Mohamad Zabawi, these red onions can be harvested 60 to 75 days after planting, ensuring high-quality, well-sized, and disease-free produce.

The process of curing the red onions involves exposing them to direct sunlight or placing them in drying houses with temperatures around 30°-32°C and a relative humidity of 65%-70% for a duration of three to seven days.

When contacted, he stated, “Mardi is actively developing onion seeds. Interested farmers can contact our institution to obtain these seeds. We estimate that we can commence extensive cultivation of red onions locally by next year.

“One hectare can yield about 300 red onion plants. Based on our initial estimates, if mass-produced, the price of red onions may range between RM5 and RM6 per kg compared with Indian shallots priced at RM7 to RM8, making them more affordable.”

He emphasized that the cost of cultivating red onions locally is not expected to be prohibitively high, which is the goal.

According to Malaysia’s Agricultural Commodity Supply and Use Account (2018-2022) statistics, the country primarily imported fresh onions, including large, small, and white varieties, with India being the main source (62%), followed by the Netherlands (15%), China (9%), Pakistan (8%), Thailand (2%), Egypt (2%), and other countries (2%).

In 2022, Malaysia imported a total of 685.4 tonnes of onions, including various types, valued at RM1,578.4mil, which represented a 9% increase from the previous year’s imports of 622.2 tonnes worth RM1,477.6mil.

Large onions accounted for the majority of imports at 71% (485.1 tonnes), followed by garlic at 22.1% (161.7 tonnes), and small onions at 6.3% (38.6 tonnes).

The per capita consumption data highlights the prevalence of large onions, with an average annual consumption of 14.8kg, followed by small onions at 1.2kg, and garlic at 4.9kg.

Although small shallots are less consumed overall, they command a higher import price of RM1,880 per tonne compared to large onions priced at RM1,759 per tonne.

However, concerns have been raised by Federation of Vegetable Farmers Associations president Lim Ser Kwee regarding whether cultivating red onions in Malaysia would require extensive land and a significant workforce, potentially increasing the local production cost compared to imports.

Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association deputy president Lau Weng Soow mentioned that red onion cultivation requires a hot climate, which is not prevalent in Malaysia.

“We, as farmers, hope that Mardi can achieve successful propagation and profitability, as we are more than willing to invest in cultivation,” he added.