Onion growers in Jashore and Rangpur district are busy rearing their fields these days, hoping to make a killing with a record harvest this year, report agencies.
UNB reports from Jahsore, farmers are expecting a bumper onion output in Jashore region as harvest continues with excellent yield rate.
An essential part of the diets of millions of Bangladeshis, rich and poor, the kitchen staple adds flavour and texture to every meal. Besides, the pungent bulb is a rich source of key daily nutrients.
Every year, Bangladesh witnesses onion crises. In October 2020, for instance, the country saw a record hike in onion prices after neighbouring India banned its export.
However, this year, Jashore could come to the rescue of the country.
Last year, the district produced some 20,440 tonnes of onion. And this year, the district authorities have set a higher target by planning to bring 1,910 hectares of land under onion cultivation.
"We are giving extra attention to our fields. We expect a bumper output this year, and in turn, a windfall profit," a farmer told the news agency. "Winter is the best time to cultivate onion."
In fact, the department of agriculture Extension (DAE) has also set a production target of 21,831 tonnes by bringing 1,910 hectares under onion cultivation in the eight upazilas of the district.
According to officials, 330 hectares of land would be brought under onion cultivation in Marimpur upazila, 150 hectares in Sadar, 210 hectares in Sharsha and 540 hectares in Jhikoregachha upazila.
Similarly, 460 hectares would be brought under onion cultivation in Chougachha upazila, 30 hectares in Abhaynagar, 70 hectares in Bagharpara and 120 hectares in Keshabpur upazila of the district.
SM Maruful Haque, the deputy assistant officer in the local DAE office, said, "We are visiting onion fields regularly and providing the farmers with valuable advice. If the weather remains favourable, we expect a bumper onion production this year."
Badal Chandra Biswas, the deputy director of DAE, Jashore region, said, "This year, a target has been set to bring 1,910 hectares of land under onion cultivation. Already 1,073 hectares have been brought under cultivation in the district."
BSS from Rangpur says, officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said, farmers are currently harvesting the tuber variety of onion to reap better profits as
transplantation of onion seedlings continues and will end by February.
Considering growing demand and frequent scarcity of onion, the DAE has fixed a record production target of 1,18,796 tonnes of the spice crop from 9,915 hectares of land for all five districts in the region this season.
"Farmers have so far cultivated onion on 7,893 hectares of land, 79.61 per cent against the fixed farming target for the region till Thursday,"
Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md Mahbubur
Rahman said on Thursday.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture have taken ample steps to assist farmers in making the onion farming programme a success.
Meanwhile, farmers have already harvested the tuber variety of onion on 1,239 hectares of land producing 13,495 tonnes of onion with an excellent yield rate of 10.89 tonnes per hectare on an average.
"Getting lucrative prices of onion, farmers are cultivating onion on more land," Rahman said, adding that the government has provided free onion seeds and assistance to small and marginal farmers to further increase onion production.
During the last Rabi season, farmers produced a record quantity of 1,06,205 tonnes of onion in the region exceeding the fixed production target of 95,207 tonnes from 9,750 hectares of land by 10,998 tonnes of the spice crop.
"Production of onion continues increasing every year in the last 13 years following different pragmatic steps taken by the government to meet its local demand and attain self-reliance," Rahman said.
Earlier, farmers produced 89,970 tonnes of onion during 2019-2020 Rabi season, 66,886 tonnes during the 2018-2019 season and 62,673 tonnes during 2017-2018 season in the region.
Talking to the news agency, farmers Mohsin Ali, Azizul Islam and Abdul Hye of different villages in Rangpur Sadar said they are now harvesting the tuber variety of onion and preparing their lands for transplantation of onion seedlings.
Vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Bazar said the market price of onion has come down to Taka 30 to Taka 35 per kg after the appearance of plenty of the newly harvested tuber variety of onions in local markets.
Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said onion cultivation and production could increase by ensuring suitable crop diversification and utilization of latest technologies in the northern region.
The DAE, Spices Research Institutes and other agriculture related research institutions and organizations are working to increase onion production for meeting local demand and reduce dependence on its import.
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