BSS, Rangpur :
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) are expecting bumper production of onion in Rangpur agriculture region as harvest of the spicy crop continues this season. Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam said a better onion output is likely in the region following excellent yield rate achieved so far this season despite a little shortfall in the fixed farming target.
The DAE has fixed a target of producing 75,548 tonnes of onion from 6,868 hectares of land for five districts of Rangpur agriculture region.
“However, the farmers have finally cultivated the spicy crop on 6,142 hectares of land, 726 hectares or 10.57 percent less than the fixed farming target in the region this time,” Islam said.
The farmers have cultivated onion in 1,920 hectares of land in Rangpur, 770 hectares in Gaibandha, 1,265 hectares in Kurigram, 769 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 1,391 hectares in Nilphamari districts.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, different commercial banks and NGOs provided assistance to the farmer in onion cultivation. “The steps include distribution of high quality seed, disbursements of easy-term agri-loans at lower interest rates, providing training, technical assistance and inputs under various programmes,” Islam added.
Meanwhile, the farmer have completed harvest on onion on 1,594 hectares of land by Sunday last already producing 15,636 tonnes of the spicy crop with an excellent yield rate of 9.81 tonnes per hectare on an average.
The early variety of winter onion has already flooded the local markets brining down its price to quite reasonable rates within Taka 15 to 20 perkilogram now against Taka 35 to 40 a month ago in the region.
“We are selling the newly harvested best quality onion at Taka 20 per kilogram though the price is less by Taka 5 per kilogram at the farmers’ levels in the region,” said retail vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Market here yesterday.
Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Dr Md Sarwarul Alam said production of winter and summer varieties of onion is increasing reducing import of the essential commodity in recent years.
“The DAE provided training and technologies to the farmers under the third phase of the production, preservation and distribution of high quality pulse, oil and spicy crops project to make onion framing programme successful this season,” Alam added.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md. Moniruzzaman said the northern region has potential to increase onion production by ensuring proper crop diversification, land management and utilisation of the latest technologies.
“The DAE, Spices Research Institutes and other agriculture related research institutions and organisations are working intensively to further raise onion production to meet local demand and reduce dependence on its imports,” Moniruzzaman added.
