Cultivation of onion started 7000 years ago. On an average, a person consumes 13.7 pounds of onion annually. Onions are very popular in Libya where each person consumes 66.8 pounds of onion per year.
India produces around 40,00,000 metric tons of onion annually and is the 2nd largest onion producer in the world, first being China.
In India onion is grown in three crop seasons, namely kharif (harvested in October-November), late kharif (January February) and rabi (April – May). Rabi season crop is the largest accounting for about 60 percent of annual production with kharif and late kharif accounting for about 20 percent each.
The export from Mumbai is largely of Nashik/Pune region onion known as pickle. Of the Southern varieties, around 50,000 mts Podisu, 5000 Mts Mutlore and Nathu, 45000 MT Bangalore Rose and around 20,000 Mt Bellary onions are exported.