Pakistan targets 2.78 million tons onion production for 2025-26

Pakistan's Ambitious Onion Production Targets for 2025-26

Pakistan has set a new target for onion production for the 2025-26 crop year, aiming to produce 2.78 million tons of onions across the country. This goal is to be achieved by cultivating onions over 168,000 hectares. The government’s decision to increase this target is based on the successful output from the ongoing 2024-25 season.

According to official data from Wealth Pakistan, the national onion production during the 2024-25 season increased by 19.2 percent, reaching 2.747 million tons compared to 2.3046 million tons in the previous year. Additionally, the cultivated area expanded by 16.8 percent, increasing from 142,500 hectares to 166,400 hectares, as reported in a document from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

Onion is the second most important vegetable crop in Pakistan after potato, with annual consumption estimated between 1.6 and 1.8 million tons. It plays a crucial role in household cooking throughout the year, used in soups, gravies, seasonings, and various other food preparations.

Under the new production plan for 2025-26, Sindh has been assigned the largest share with a target of 956,550 tons from 60,000 hectares. Balochistan follows closely with a target of 884,500 tons from 47,000 hectares, while Punjab aims for 720,000 tons from 49,000 hectares. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been given a target of 254,400 tons from 12,000 hectares.

In the ongoing 2024-25 season, Punjab emerged as a key contributor to the national growth in onion production. Its output surged by 92.4 percent to 914,000 tons, driven by a significant expansion in the cultivated area from 29,000 hectares to 52,000 hectares—an increase of 79.3 percent. This rise also lifted the province's yield by 7.3 percent, from 16,379 kg per hectare to 17,577 kg per hectare.

Sindh, traditionally a major onion-producing region, recorded marginal growth. Its production increased by 1.5 percent to 783,200 tons, while the cultivated area rose slightly by 1.4 percent to 57,900 hectares. Yield remained steady, dipping only 0.1 percent to 13,527 kg per hectare.

Balochistan posted a 3.9 percent improvement in production, reaching 885,400 tons, supported by a 3.7 percent rise in the cultivated area to 47,100 hectares. The province's yield also inched up by 0.1 percent to 18,798 kg per hectare. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, however, reported a decline during the 2024-25 cycle. Its cultivated area fell by 14.5 percent to 9,400 hectares, while production dropped 19.9 percent to 164,500 tons. Yield also declined by 6.2 percent to 17,500 kg per hectare.

Nationally, the average yield improved slightly to 16,509 kg per hectare, up 2.1 percent from 16,172 kg recorded in 2023-24. The Federal Committee on Agriculture confirmed that Pakistan surpassed its national production target for 2024-25. Against a planned output of 2.554 million tons from 157,000 hectares, actual production stood at 2.747 million tons—7.5 percent higher than the target—while the cultivated area exceeded expectations by rising to 166,400 hectares, an increase of 6 percent.

Punjab and Balochistan were the provinces to exceed their assigned targets. Punjab surpassed its 660,000-ton target by 38.5 percent, and Balochistan exceeded its 741,000-ton target by 19.5 percent. Sindh achieved 86 percent of its target of 911,000 tons, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa met only 67.9 percent of its target, producing 164,500 tons against a requirement of 242,300 tons.