Sowing rare seeds of success: How black onion cultivation made this farmer a multi-millionaire

After closely studying market trends, Saini identified a huge demand for quality onion seed — especially black onion seed, known for its dark purple colour, superior shine and long storage life with minimal weight loss. He began cautiously by cultivating black onion seed on just half an acre. His first attempt yielded around two quintals of seed, and the encouraging yield and strong market response convinced him to expand.

Using a machine that creates raised beds with trenches for irrigation, bulbs are planted six inches apart and 2–3 inches deep. (Express Photo)

By 2012, Saini had dedicated his entire seven acres of owned land to black onion seed production. Today, he produces around 17–18 quintals of high-quality seed annually from these fields. In favourable weather conditions, his per-acre seed yield reaches up to five quintals, which is a record in itself, though the average remains around 2.5 quintals per acre.

With market prices ranging between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 per kg, onion seed cultivation has become the backbone of his farming model. Even after an expenditure of about Rs 1.5 lakh per acre — roughly split between seed cost and labour, medicines and harvesting — the returns remain highly attractive, at around Rs 6 lakh per acre after meeting all expenses. “But it is only because the farmer is hard-working and taking good care of his crop,” he stressed.

“From wheat and paddy combined, a farmer cannot earn more than Rs 90,000 per acre if the land is owned by the farmer himself. In contrast, onion seed production generates at least five times the income from a single crop, and another crop can also be taken from the same field,” the 60-year-old farmer said. He added that even in a bad year — both in terms of production and seed prices — he still earns at least Rs 1.5–2 lakh per acre from onion seed after expenses.

Once the 50 to 70 days old nursery, which is sown in November months, is sold by January, the same fields are used to grow table onions using the remaining nursery plants. (Express Photo)

For seed production, Saini uses around 14–18 quintals of onion bulbs per acre, depending on bulb size.

Saini has also taken two more acres of land on lease for onion nursery (paneeri) cultivation. From these two acres, he prepares a nursery sufficient for nearly 80 acres and sells it at about Rs 8 lakh per acre. After meeting all expenses, including seed — which costs him around Rs 3 lakh per acre — and labour, he earns a net profit of nearly Rs 3 lakh per acre in just two months. “I use my own seed to grow the nursery,” he said.

Once the 50 to 70 days old nursery, which is sown in November months, is sold by January, the same fields are used to grow table onions using the remaining nursery plants. From these two acres, he harvests 200–230 quintals per acre, selling onions in the wholesale market at around Rs 15 per kg. This brings him an additional income of nearly Rs 4 lakh between January and May, over and above the nursery earnings.

Saini follows a meticulous process for seed production. After harvesting onions in May, the produce is carefully graded and only the best-quality bulbs are selected for seed purposes while the remaining crop is sold in the mandi. These bulbs are stored and replanted in October after cutting around 15 per cent of the top portion.

Using a machine that creates raised beds with trenches for irrigation, bulbs are planted six inches apart and 2–3 inches deep. Fertilisers such as DAP, potash and calcium nitrate are applied as required. Sowing and weed management are done manually, with three to four rounds of weeding essential to maintain crop quality and ensure premium seed production.

With market prices ranging between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 per kg, onion seed cultivation has become the backbone of his farming model. (Express Photo)

Sowing takes place in October, and harvesting is completed by mid-May.

“Onion seed pods (dried flowers containing seeds) are harvested manually and dried naturally for about a week. The seeds are then extracted using a tractor and cleaned with fans. The final produce fetches premium prices across Punjab and Haryana,” he said, adding that farmers using his seed achieve table onion yields of up to 230 quintals per acre.

He also noted that the crop’s water requirement is relatively low, requiring irrigation once during winter, twice during March–April, and thrice during the final month of the crop when the summers are at peak.

After harvesting onion seed and table onions in May, Saini grows paddy on all nine acres, which is harvested in October. He then resumes onion seed production on seven acres and nursery raising on two acres, maintaining a year-round cropping cycle.

His farming operations generate employment for 15–20 labourers for 8–9 months during peak periods, particularly from October to May–June. During the remaining months, four to five labourers continue to work with him.

His farming operations generate employment for 15–20 labourers for 8–9 months during peak periods, particularly from October to May–June. (Express Photo)

Saini’s 25-year-old son, educated up to 10+2, actively supports the venture under the banner “Shri Krishna Farming” and also helps share their farming journey through social media platforms. According to Saini, darker-coloured onions with better shine always fetch higher prices.

Encouraged by the success of black onion seed, Saini is now diversifying into brown and pink onion varieties, which are also demanded by several onion growers from him.

“Big companies from Nashik (Maharashtra), the hub of onion production, contact me for my seed quality,” he said, adding that his future plan is to lease more land and further expand the area under black onion seed cultivation.