Cold Storages Needed For Onion Storing
It was claimed that last dry season 2.3 million tons of onion were grown in Bangladesh. But one million tons got parish owing to untimely rain and want of cold storage facility. We have cold storages to store potatoes. Like onion potatoes are grown one’s in dry season. We get potatoes throughout the year owing to enough cold storage facilities. Current demand of onion is estimated as 2.4 million tons. That is, we have shortage of 1.1 million tons of onion this year. If we had storage facilities for onion the shortage could have much less. In recent decares Bangladesh has been making up shortage of onion importing from India. Last September India stopped export of onion for loss of onion production owing to excessive rain. Price of onion gets five times high. It’s usual price is Tk 20/ per kg has gone to Tk100/. This type of price increase we experienced after a few years in recent past.
Bangladesh needs to increase production of onion as well establish a few cold storages for preserving onion. In greater Pabna and in greater Faridpur districts farmers grow maximum onion now. Bangladesh needs two million tons capacity cold storage. A few cold storage should be set up in greater Pabna and greater Faridpur districts on priority basis to save farmers and consumers of onions. For immediate solution a few potato cold storage may be used for preserving onion.
Banks should come forward to finance setting up onion cold storages immediately.
Md Ashraf Hossein
120, Central Bashabo
Dhaka-1214
