Even after vigilance throughout the night, farmers of Santhia Upazila failed to stop onions stealing from their fields.
According to sources, after incurring a loss during the last year in onion cultivation, farmers of Santhia transplanted root-cut onions in their fields. The price of onion being satisfactory, even higher than the expectation, farmers were now happy with the product. But, the farmers of the Upazila are also worried at the stealing of onions from their fields at the night time.
According to sources, the wholesale price of Onion at the market is at present in Santhia is Taka 60 to 75 per kiolgramme. Customers, however, opined such an exorbitant price of Onion at the full-season of the harvesting of Onion is abnormal. And such an abnormal high price of Onion is luring the thieves to pluck and steal raw Onions from the fields. Being afraid of stealing, some farmers, however, were plucking the Onions from their fields even before those are matured enough to harvest. Many farmers were also watching their fields at night time to check those from being theft. But, even after watching throughout the night, the farmers are failing to save their onions from the grip of the thieves.
Montu Khan of Patgari area informed he cultivated Onions on two bighas of land.
He used to keep vigilance at the onion field at night. Still, the thieves stole on Sunday night some five to six maunds of Onion from his field.
It is learnt, Onions of at least ten farmers including Taijal Khan, Majid Pramanik, Hamid Pramanik of Patgari village and Shah Alam Pramanik of Vitapara villages have been stolen at night. Even after keeping vigilance, nearly eight maunds of Onion from the field of Taijal Khan have been stolen of Thursday night. He is now thinking to pluck the onions, though those are not matured enough. It would take two more weeks to get those matured. Nur Nabi Pramanil informed, it is not possible for him to watch the Onions in the field always at night. Yet, he has been staying with other onion farmers at the field by raising tents at night.
Farmer Alhaj Sarder was harvesting Onions from his field.
He said, the yield of Onion was satisfactory this year. The price was also inspiring. Due to menace of Onion-thieves, he was plucking Onions from the field ahead of the harvesting schedule.
DAE Officer of Santhia Upazila Sanjoy Kumar Giswami informed, the farmers are getting a satisfactory price of Onion this year. The Onion is being stolen from the field due to its high price. The incident of stealing of Onion from the field should be informed to the concerned Union Parishad and the local police station.
Agriculture Extension Department sources in Santhia informed onions have been cultivated on 17,100 hectares of land in the upazila of which root-cut Onions were cultivated on 1,600 hectares of land.
The root-cut onions have already been harvested and sold. Now, the local variety of seed onions is in the field. These onions are being stolen from some fields of the upazila, he added.
