The appeal of white onion flakes and moringa powder for farmers

Exports of white onion flakes increased nearly 27% from $178 million in 2023-24 to $226.5 million in 2024-25, show data from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. In terms of volume, the exports increased 14% from 96,319 tonnes in FY24 to 109,927 tonnes in FY25.

Moringa powder exports increased from $16 million in FY24 to $21 million in FY25.

“White onion flakes and moringa are not traditional items in the export basket. But in the last few years their export has grown significantly, showing immense potential as they offer higher market values than traditional subsistence crops,” said a senior official in the agriculture ministry.

“In the case of white onion flakes, production and exports Gujarat has emerged as the front-runner, followed by Maharashtra,” the official said.

White onion flakes are used in making spices and for cooking in restaurants and hotels. The main importing countries include the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Germany, France and Spain.

“Farmers were inclined to white onions as there was increased demand from exporters offering over 30% more price than red onions, which led to increase in acreage,” said Rahul Malani, an onion grower in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat.

However, this year, white onion crops in Gujarat’s Amreli and Bhavnagar cities were hit by unseasonal summer rains in early May, he added.

White onion flakes sell for $2.5-3 ( ₹215-255) per kg in international markets, while in India, the price begins at ₹130 per kg. Prices are dependent on quality and differ from country to country.

In terms of acreage, there is no bifurcation of area between white and red onions, although, according to industry estimates, white onion accounts for about 40% of the total onion area.

Overall, onion cultivation area in Gujarat increased from 81,011 hectares in FY24 to 93,500 hectares in FY25.

Draw of the drumstick

As for moringa (known commonly as drumstick), India is the world’s largest producer, meeting 80% of global demand, with Tamilnadu leading in cultivation. But rising international demand for powered moringa has drawn the attention of farmers across states.

Pankaj Kumar, who began cultivating moringa on 1.5 acres in Punjab’s SBS Nagar district more than a decade ago, has expanded the cultivation area to 10 acres.

“There is immense demand for moringa powder from Germany and other economies. I started cultivating a high density variety of moringa in 2022,” Kumar said.

Moringa trees grow rapidly and require very little water for irrigation, and need to be replaced after 6-10 years.

“The leaves are harvested 3-4 times in a year. On an average, we get 15 tonnes of leaves annually from it, which are then dehydrated and converted into powder,” said Kumar. “The recovery from the leaves is around 12%, which means 100 kg of leaves translates into 12 kg of powder.”

Monsoon rains typically don’t have an impact on the crop, although waterlogging can damage the tree’s roots.

Total acreage under moringa cultivation in India increased from 38,000 hectares in FY24 to 42,000 hectares in FY25. Tamilnadu has identified about 20,741 hectares across 10 districts as moronga export zones.

The growing appeal of moringa powder for Indian farmers lies in its price. One kg of moringa powder fetches ₹10,000-12,000 in export markets and about ₹3,000 in India, Kumar said, adding that farmers are also exploring options to export moringa pickles.