By Dr Aynal Haque
RAJSHAHI, March 11, 2021 (BSS) – Farmers are expecting outstanding
production of onion seed as they have cultivated the cash crop on the ever-
highest land in the region, including its vast Barind tract during the
current season.
Akbar Ali, 54, a farmer of Palpur village under Godagari upazila, had
harvested around 300 kilograms of seed from three bigha of land last year. He
sold the seed at Taka 3,000 to 5,000 per kilogram during the last sowing
season.
Ali told BSS that he earned around Taka 12 lakh after selling the crop last
season. The lucrative earning has inspired him to cultivate the onion seed on
five bigha of land this year. Production cost is around Taka 50,000 to 60,000
per bigha of land, he added.
Himel Hossain, 43, another farmer of the same village has cultivated the
cash crop on four bigha of land this season. He earned around Taka 10 lakh
after selling around 300 kilograms of seed last year.
Interests among the farmers towards the seed farming have been enhanced to
a greater extent in the region due to soaring onion prices for the last
couple of years. Godagari Upazila Agriculture Officer Shafiqul Islam told
BSS that the farmers have cultivated the onion-seed on around 345 hectares of
land this year, while the previous year’s figure was around 95 hectares.
More than 350 farmers have become self-reliant through commercial farming
of the crop during the last couple of years in the upazila, which attracted
many to onion seed farming.
Nazmul Haque, 48, another farmer of Tarapur village under Puthiya Upazila,
is now dreaming of harvesting onion seeds of Taka 16 lakh during the current
season.
He has cultivated onion seeds on four bighas of land. His eye-catching
farming field predicts yielding more than 400 kilograms of seed in the
upcoming harvesting season.
Nazmul said he has spent around Taka two lakh for the farming purposes. He
expects production of 80 to 100 kilograms from per bigha of land on an
average.
Around 15 years back, he had started onion seed farming on two khathas of
land after taking it lease. Since then, continuous profit inspired him to
increase his farming gradually. Now, he is a successful onion seed farmer and
his fame spreads to surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, commercial farming of onion-seed is gradually increasing in
Rajshahi region including its high Barind tract, as demand for this spicy
cash crop has risen to a greater extent in the recent years.
Agriculturists, farmers and other stakeholders are expecting a bumper
production of onion-seed this season due to a suitable climatic condition.
They are predicting that around two and half mounds of seed would be
produced in a bigha of land during the forthcoming harvesting season.
In the last sowing season, per kilogram of seed was sold at Taka 3,000 to
Taka 5,000.
“We are hopeful about record amount of onion-seed production this year if
the present suitable climatic condition prevails until the total harvest is
completed,” said Sirajul Islam, Additional Director of the Department of
Agricultural Extension (DAE).
Meanwhile, over 9.32 lakh tonnes of onion is expected to be produced from
around 88,800 hectares of land in all eight districts of the division during
the current Rabi and subsequent Kharif-1 seasons.
The DAE has set a target of producing around 3.14 lakh tonnes of the spicy
cash crop from 29,920 hectares of land in four districts in Rajshahi
Agricultural Zone, while 6.18 lakh tonnes from 58,880 hectares in four other
districts of Bogura Zone.
But, amazingly, the farmers have brought 89,164 hectares of land under the
onion farming in the two zones exceeding the target by 364 hectares.