How Long Do Onions Take To Grow In Uganda?
How Long Do Onions Take To Grow In Uganda?
Onions need around 4 months to mature. In the last 3 weeks before harvesting, the weather should be absolutely rain free.
Plan to start your nursery bed according to the dry season of your planting area. Count back 4 and ½ months back so that you can harvest at the end of December.
Proper treatment at harvest maximizes the amount of time you will be able to store your onions.
When the tops of the onions turn brown or yellow and fall over, it’s time to harvest; ideally, the plant will have about 13 leaves at this point.
Pull the onions early in the morning on a sunny dry day, Shake off excess soil.
Cure the onions by putting them in to sun to dry for at least 2 days. Then transfer your onions to a shaded warm, dry, and well-ventilated room to enable them to completely dry and cure.
Where to sell your Onions in Uganda
You can sell your onions right from your nearest fresh market including wholesale markets, restaurants, roadside stands and national markets like Owino, Nakasero, and USAFI.
Alternatively, you can go ahead and add value to your onions by drying them to get an onion powder which you can sell at a better price as a spice.
How much does it cost to plant an acre of onions in Uganda?
An acre requires two kilograms of seeds, which cost around sh1. 6m-sh1. 8m to set up. The cost of labor and other farm inputs stands at around sh5m per season, making the cost of production around sh7m.
How much can one earn from an acre of onions in Uganda?
Onions can make good profits for a farmer if grown for commercial purposes. With the right farming procedures, one can earn sh4-sh5m in a period of four months from onions on one acre, according to Silver Mutoni, a farmer in Gayaza, a Kampala neighborhood.
How profitable is onion growing in Uganda?
Onion farming in Uganda is a profitable business due to the ready market that is found in the markets around the country and they are also exported to outside countries after proper packaging and management.