Rabi & Kharif پیاز

Onion

A year-round kitchen staple with sharp seasonal price swings.

Season: Rabi & Kharif
Transplanting: Jun–Jul / Dec–Jan
Harvest: Mar–May / Oct–Nov
Duration: ~140 days

Grown in: Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab. Windows are indicative and shift with district, altitude and season.

Overview

Why onion matters

Onion is grown across Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab in overlapping seasons, which keeps supply continuous. Post-harvest curing and storage are where most of the avoidable loss occurs.

Cured onions packed into crates after harvest

Growing conditions

Climate and soil

Climate

Cool weather during vegetative growth followed by warm, dry conditions at bulbing and maturity.

Soil

Fertile, well-drained sandy loam high in organic matter, pH 6.0–7.5.

Planting & sowing

Raise nursery and transplant six to eight week old seedlings. Rabi transplanting December to January; Kharif transplanting June to July. Space 15×10 cm, using 4–5 kg seed per acre.

Irrigation

Ten to twelve light, frequent irrigations. Stop irrigating 15 days before harvest so the necks dry down and the bulbs store.

Fertilisation

About 60 kg N, 40 kg P₂O₅ and 40 kg K₂O per acre, nitrogen split between transplanting and 30–45 days after. Sulphur improves pungency and keeping quality.