RANGPUR, April 22, 2022 (BSS) - A bumper production of onion is likely in
Rangpur agriculture region where harvesting of the spicy crop continues in
full swing with excellent yield rate this season.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said a target of
producing 1,18,796 tonnes of onion was fixed from 9,915 hectares of land for
all five districts in the region during the 2021-2022 Rabi season.

"However, farmers have finally cultivated onion on 9,163 hectares of land,
less by 752 hectares of land or 7.58 percent against the fixed farming
target," said Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist
Md Tauhidul Ikbal.

Farmers have cultivated onion on 2,635 hectares of land in Rangpur, 1,410
hectares in Gaibandha, 1,405 hectares in Kurigram, 775 hectares in
Lalmonirhat and on 736 hectares of land in Nilphamari districts of the
region.

Despite a little shortfall in the farming target, farmers are expecting to
get a bumper production of the spicy crop and earn better profits this year.

"Till Thursday, farmers have harvested onion on 6,961 hectares of land
producing 76,935 tonnes of onion with an excellent yield rate of 11.05 tonnes
per hectare of land on an average," he said.

During the last Rabi season, farmers produced a record 1,06,205 tonnes of
onion in the region exceeding the fixed production target of 95,207 tonnes by
10,998 tonnes of the spicy crop.

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.

"Production of onion continued increasing every year in the last 13 years
following different realistic steps taken by the government to enhance
production and attain self-reliance in meeting its local demand," Ikbal said.
 

The DAE and other agriculture related departments, organisations and
institutes implemented various programs to assist farmers in making the
intensive onion farming program a success this time.
 
Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Agriculturist Md. Obaidur Rahman
Mandal said Rangpur region has a huge potential to further increase onion
production by ensuring proper crop diversification, management and
utilisation of latest technologies.

"The DAE, Spices Research Institutes and other agriculture related
institutions and organisations are working to increase onion production to
meet its local demand and ultimately reduce its import to the zero level in
the future," he said.

Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh
Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid lauded various steps taken by the government to
cultivate onion twice a year to increase its output on the way to attain
self-reliance.

Talking to BSS, farmers Suman Mian, Abdul Hakim and Kafil Uddin of different
villages in Rangpur Sadar upazila said they are harvesting their cultivated
onion and reaping better profits now.

Fazlur Rahman at Keranipara Kitchen Bazar in Rangpur city today said the
market price of onion has come down to Taka 20 to Taka 30 per kg after the
appearance of plenty of the newly harvested onions in local markets.