Onions take just about two months to give you money from the day of planting. This means that with these short rains, you can still plant onions.
One of Uganda`s biggest import from Tanzania are onions. There is a very big market for onions. Tanzania is the leading producer of onions in the region because it also supplies Kenya.
And yet, onions can be grown in a wide range of climatic conditions; they are quite hardy and can tolerate temperatures as low as -6⁰c.
However, good bulb formation requires temperatures from 15.5⁰c with an optimum temperature of 21- 27⁰c.
In Uganda most of the large scale (with 5-10acres) onions are grown in Sebei region which comprises Kapchorwa, Bukwo and Kween districts, in Bulambuli, Sironko, Mbale in the South-west, areas around Kabale, Kisoro, Kanungu, Rukungiri, Kasese, Rubirizi and Kabarole. Low level production (with 1-3acres) of onions is carried out in Mubende, Mityana, Luwero, Hoima, Masindi and Kamuli districts.
Spring and tuber onions have a big market and grow faster within 20-30 days. The ones with bulbs nature within 75-90 days. To get the best harvest from the bulb onions, and make them grow big, you need to give them fertilisers. With good practices, you can harvest between 15-20 tonnes where a kilogramme can go for shs1,500 and earn between sh22m and sh30m.
