RANGPUR, Feb 5, 2021 (BSS) – Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) are expecting a bumper onion output in Rangpur agriculture region during this Rabi season as its harvest continues now with excellent yield rate.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Agriculturalist Md. Moniruzzaman said farmers are harvesting the tuber variety of onion to reap better profits now as transplantation of onion seedlings will continue till this month-end..
“Considering growing demand of onion amid its prevailing deficit, the DAE has fixed a record production target of 95,207 tonnes of the spicy crop from 9,750 hectares of land for all five districts in the region this season,” he said.
However, farmers have so far cultivated onion on 9,291 hectares of land against the fixed farming target for the region this season.
“Till Thursday, farmers have cultivated onion on 2,825 hectares of land in Rangpur, 2,005 hectares in Gaibandha, 2,482 hectares in Kurigram, 845 hectares in Lalmonirhat and on 1,134 hectares of land in Nilphamari districts of Rangpur the region,” he said.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture have implemented various steps to assist farmers in making onion farming programme successful this season
Meanwhile, farmers have already harvested tuber variety of onion on 2,192 hectares of land by Thursday last, already producing 25,899 tonnes of the spicy crop with an excellent yield rate of 11.78 tonnes per hectare on an average.
“Due to lucrative prices of onion, farmers have cultivated onion on more lands to reap additional benefits,” Moniruzzaman said, adding that the government has provided free onion seeds and assistance to small and marginal farmers to increase production.
Talking to BSS, farmers Aiyub Ali, Nur Mohammad and Mohsin Haque of different villages in Rangpur Sadar said they are harvesting the tuber variety of onion now along with continuing transplantation of onion seedlings on their lands.
Vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Bazar today told BSS that the market price of onion has currently come down to Taka 30 per kg after the appearance of plenty of newly harvested onions in local markets.
Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Agriculturist Dr. Md. Sarwarul Haque said the country’s northern region has bigger potential to increase onion production by ensuring proper crop diversification, management and utilisation of latest technologies.
“The DAE, Spices Research Institutes and other agriculture related research institutions and organisations are working intensively to further increase onion production for meeting local demand and reduce dependence on imports,” he added.
Agriculturist Dr. MA Mazid who got Independence Medal-2018 (food security), said various government steps are inspiring farmers in enhancing onion cultivation twice a year to increase its output on way to attain self-reliance of the spicy commodity.