The government has fixed a record target of producing 1,18,796 tonnes of onion from 9,915 hectares of land for all five districts in Rangpur agriculture region during the current (2021-2022) Rabi season. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials said farmers have started farming early tuber varieties of onion after harvesting short duration Aman rice to harvest those from the end of November and are getting good profits.
“Taking into consideration the growing demand of onion and its high price, the DAE has fixed the record production target this time,” Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Bidhu Bhusan Ray told BSS on Tuesday.
During the last (2020-2021) Rabi season, farmers produced a record quantity of 1,06,205 tonnes of onion in Rangpur agriculture region exceeding the fixed production target of 95,207 tonnes from 9,750 hectares of land by 10,998 tonnes.
“Production of onion continues to increase every year during the last 13 years following different pragmatic steps taken by the government to meet its local demand and attain self-reliance,” Ray said.
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Earlier, farmers produced 89,970 tonnes of onion during the 2019-2020 Rabi season, 66,886 tonnes of onion during the 2018-2019 Rabi season and 62,673 tonnes of onion during the 2017-2018 Rabi season in the region. The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture are providing quality seeds, training and technologies to farmers for enhancing production of onion. Besides, the commercial banks are disbursing easy-term agriculture loans among farmers to make the intensive onion and other winter crops' farming programme successful in the region.
Talking to BSS, Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said there is a huge potential to enhance onion production by ensuring proper crop diversification and adopting latest technologies. Being inspired by officials of the DAE, other agri-related organisations and some NGOs, farmers are showing more interest in farming onions by directly sowing its seeds, transplanting seedlings and tuber varieties in Rangpur region. “As quality onion seeds and fertilizers are given as government incentives, char dwellers, small and marginal farmers are cultivating onion on more lands, including riverine char areas, to increase production and reap additional benefits every year,” he said.
Talking to BSS, farmers Esahak Ali, Nur Mohammad, Abdul Hafiz and Amenur Rahman of different villages in Rangpur Sadar said they have started sowing the tuber variety of onion seeds on their lands after harvesting early varieties of Aman rice.
Agriculturist Dr MA Mazid who got Independence Medal-2018 (food security), lauded various special steps taken by the government to inspire farmers in farming both winter and summer varieties of onion to increase its output and meet local demand.
“Proper coordination is needed in reaching the government assistance to farmers for enhancing onion cultivation and production to attain self-reliance” Dr Mazid added.