Buy Niger Onions Directly From Exporters & Suppliers - Best of 2024 Market Prices

Did you know that onions are toxic to dogs and cats? Niger onions are mainly used as a vegetable ingredient for most dishes during cooking and in salads. They contain health properties like antioxidants and compounds that lower blood pressure and protect against blood clots.

Niger onions have leaves that range between yellow to a lush green and bulb at the plant base which swells as the plant accumulates food reserves during maturity. The plant grows between 15 to 45 cm in height. They are cylindrical, hollow and full of flesh with a side that is flattened. The whole plant tapers towards its blunt tip. The onions range from less than an inch in diameter to 4.5 inches.

Allium cepa has an unknown ancestral wild original form because of the extinction of the wild onion. However, Iran and Central Asia have been described as origin. The plant has been traced from as far back as 5000BCE.

Dried onions world production as of 2017 was 97.9 M tonnes. Niger onions constitute one of the few sources of income for the country that are non-mineral. The country exports two-thirds of their harvest, making them the leading producer in West Africa with an annual average of 500,000 tonnes. Niger has grown onions for over 100 years in regions like Agadez.

Violet De Galmi is grown in the village of Galmi in Niger. It has a pungent flavour and thick bulbs. It is a variety of red onions and is used in grilling and to liven dish colours in cooking. 

Niger onions are harvested in their first growing season just as annual plants are despite them being biannual plants. They grow in the dry season, but the country has since introduced a cultivar for the rainy season. 

The onions grow in a PH. of about 5.5 and are an irrigated crop. They are cultivated in well-drained fertile soils like sandy loams. Hot temperatures are not conducive for the onions’ growth. They are grown either from seeds or bulbs. They require nutrients like phosphorus at high levels.

Niger onions harvest begins in September. This is when the leaves die, and outer bulb layers of the onion plant become dry. After harvesting, the onions are dried and put in nets in shallow boxes. They are then stored in a cool, well-ventilated place with room temperature. They are available in fresh, frozen, canned, pickled and chopped options. Shipping requires a 65% relative humidity and 0°c-4°c temperature range. Packing gets done in 25 or 50-pound bags or a range of 2 to 50-pound mesh bags.

Niger exports are to African countries like Ghana and Asia.

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