RANGPUR, Jan 20, 2022 (BSS) - Farmers are expecting a bumper onion output

in Rangpur agriculture region during this Rabi season as harvest of its tuber
variety continues with excellent yield rate.

  Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers
are currently harvesting the tuber variety of onion to reap better profits as
transplantation of onion seedlings continues and will end by February next.

  Considering growing demand and frequent scarcity of onion, the DAE has
fixed a record production target of 1,18,796 tonnes of the spice crop from
9,915 hectares of land for all five districts in the region this season.

  "Farmers have so far cultivated onion on 7,893 hectares of land, 79.61
percent against the fixed farming target for the region till Thursday,"
Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Mahbubur
Rahman told BSS today.

  The DAE, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, Bangladesh
Agricultural Research Institute and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear
Agriculture have taken ample steps to assist farmers in making the onion
farming program successful.

  Meanwhile, farmers have already harvested the tuber variety of onion on
1,239 hectares of land producing 13,495 tonnes of onion with an excellent
yield rate of 10.89 tonnes per hectare on an average.

  "Getting lucrative prices of onion, farmers are cultivating onion on more
land," Rahman said, adding that the government has provided free onion seeds
and assistance to small and marginal farmers to further increase onion
production.

  During the last Rabi season, farmers produced a record quantity of 1,06,205
tonnes of onion in the region exceeding the fixed production target of 95,207
tonnes from 9,750 hectares of land by 10,998 tonnes of the spice crop.

  "Production of onion continues increasing every year in the last 13 years
following different pragmatic steps taken by the government to meet its local
demand and attain self-reliance," Rahman said.

  Earlier, farmers produced 89,970 tonnes of onion during 2019-2020 Rabi
season, 66,886 tonnes during the 2018-2019 season and 62,673 tonnes during
2017-2018 season in the region.

  Talking to BSS, farmers Mohsin Ali, Azizul Islam and Abdul Hye of different
villages in Rangpur Sadar said they are now harvesting the tuber variety of
onion and preparing their lands for transplantation of onion seedlings.

  Vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Bazar today told BSS that
the market price of onion has come down to Taka 30 to Taka 35 per kg after
the appearance of plenty of the newly harvested tuber variety of onions in
local markets.

  Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh
Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said onion cultivation and production could
increase by ensuring suitable crop diversification and utilization of latest
technologies in the northern region.

  The DAE, Spices Research Institutes and other agriculture related research
institutions and organizations are working to increase onion production for
meeting local demand and reduce dependence on its import.

  "Farmers are enhancing onion cultivation every year getting necessary
assistance from the government to increase its output and attain self-
reliance of the spice commodity," Rashid added.