RANGPUR, Nov 14 (BSS): The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of producing about 0.11 million tonnes of onion from 10,799 hectares of land in all eight districts of Rangpur division during this Rabi season.
The DAE officials said farmers started sowing seeds of the early varieties of onion from October last after harvesting short duration Transplanted Aman rice.
"Farmers have already sowed onion seed on 2,000 hectares of land in two agriculture regions under Rangpur division," said Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam, horticulture specialist of the DAE at its regional office here.
The process of sowing onion seed will get full momentum by this month-end and continue till the third week of December while transplantation of onion seedling will end by the middle of January next.
Under the programme, farmers will cultivate onion on 1,978 hectares of land in Rangpur, 1,120 hectares in Gaibandha, 1,505 hectares in Kurigram, 975 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 1,290 hectares of land in Nilphamari under Rangpur agriculture region.
"Besides, farmers will bring 2,300 hectares of land under onion cultivation programme in Dinajpur, 350 hectares in Thakurgaon and 1,281 hectares in Panchagarh districts under Dinajpur agriculture region," Islam added.
Talking to the news agency, DAE Deputy Director Md Moniruzzaman said the government has taken adequate steps to make the intensive onion farming programme successful this season.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture and NGOs are supplying quality seeds and providing technical assistance to farmers.
The commercial banks, including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, are disbursing easy-term agriculture loans among farmers to make the onion and other winter crops' farming programme a success in the division.
"Besides, the DAE is providing training, technologies and quality seed to farmers through the third phase of production, preservation and distribution of high quality pulse, oil and spicy crops project to make onion framing programme successful," he said.
Vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Bazar on Wednesday said early variety of winter onion already appeared in local markets reducing market of onion by Tk 3.0 to Tk 5.0 per kg in recent days.
"The imported Indian onion is being sold at Tk 25 per kg against the local variety old onion at Tk 38 while newly harvested winter onion at Tk 30 in retail markets now," Hafizur said.
DAE official Md Shah Alam said farmers are expanding cultivation of winter and summer varieties of onion and increasing output.
"After getting repeated bumper output and profits in recent years, farmers are cultivating onion twice a year to increase its production availing government assistance," Alam added.
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