The Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell (DEMIC) Department of Agribusiness Management, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad has come up with an effort to empower farmers in taking proper decisions while sowing the seeds for the crops with high price volatility. Onion is one among such crops with high price volatility. High price volatility and uncertainty at the harvest of the onion has made the farmers to get struck in taking proper decision during sowing. To overcome this problem of farmers regarding this, the DEMIC has forecasted the prices of onion that would prevail in February, March and April 2013 in Belgaum which is the major onion market of North Karnataka.

The past twenty years monthly price data of onion from Belgaum regulated  market has been collected and was analyzed by using reliable statistical tools to comeup with these forecasted prices. Other than this, in order to cross check the forecasted prices and also to fine tune them further, the valuable opinions and suggestion were collected from onion traders, agricultural scientists and progressive farmers and were kept in mind while coming to the final conclusive prices.  The prices in other major markets for this crop and government policies in export of this crop were also taken into consideration which influence the prices in this market.

According to the advisory of the DEMIC, the prices of onion per quintal may fall within Rs. 800-1000 in the month of February and Rs 700-900 in the months of March and April which is the peak harvesting period of the crop.  Bold and uniform sized, well dried and clean lots of onion could fetch higher prices.  Hence, farmers are advised to consider all these suggestions while deciding the crops for cultivation and not to forget, while preparing the commodity to the market.