Bumper yield of onion in Kushtia

 Farmers in Kushtia district have seen bumper yield of onions this season. However, they are extremely frustrated despite a massive harvest as they are not getting fair price, it was learned. 

Starting from the end of Falgun, the farmers have been busy harvesting onions and garlic. They were seen mostly busy picking onions and garlic and bringing them home. According to the Kushtia Agriculture Extension Department, the target of planting onions in 12,440 hectares of land in Kushtia district in the current fiscal year 2020-2021 has been achieved. Onions were planted in 12,912 hectares of land in total, 472 more hectares than the set target. On the other hand, the target for garlic cultivation was set at 1,450 hectares of land and plantation was done in 1,968 hectares of land. However, the farmers are reluctant to accept this information. The farmers said that the information of the agriculture office was not correct as they did not conduct any survey in the field. Onion and garlic have been planted on more areas than the said estimate, they claimed.

According to the Kushtia Agriculture Extension Department, the target for planting onions in 1,605 hectares of land in Kushtia Sadar Upazila this season has been set but 1,610 hectares have been achieved. The target in Khoksa upazila was 2,650 hectares, of which 2,964 hectares have been achieved. In Kumarkhali upazila the target was set at 5,020 hectares, where 5,290 hectares have been achieved. In Mirpur Upazila, the target was set at 400 hectares and 320 hectares have been achieved. In Bheramara upazila the target was set at 240 hectares and 220 hectares have been achieved. In Daulatpur upazila, the target was set at 2,425 hectares and 2,496 hectares of land has been achieved.

In Kushtia Sadar Upazila, the target for garlic cultivation has been set at 186 hectares of land and 196 hectares of land has been planted there. In Khoksa, plantation was done on 159 hectares eyeing a target of 116 hectares, in Kumarkhali, 270 hectares were achieved targetting 270 hectares, in Mirpur 140 hectares, on Bheramara 61 hectares and in Daulatpur, garlic has been planted on 1,142 hectares while the target was 677 hectares.

Abdul Karim, an onion farmer from Baradi village in Kushtia suburb, said bumper crop of onion has been harvested this time. However, we are disappointed with the market price. He said it costs 35 to 40 thousand taka to plant onions in one bigha of land and take them home. Onion production is 50 to 60 manas per bigha. The market value is much lower than the production cost. If onions are imported from abroad, the loss will be the most. If onions could be sold at Rs 50 per kg in the market, the farmers would see the face of money at least a little. Another farmer from the same area, former member Nowsher Ali, said he has planted onions on 4 bighas of land, costing him Tk 1.5 lakh so far. There are still more costs. His idea is not to get 50 manas of onion per bigha. Onion farmer Moksed Ali said he has already picked onions from his field and sold them at Tk 25 per kg, now they are being sold at Tk 23/24. By doing this he is counting the losses. If the price of onion was 50 taka per kg, they would have made some profit. Because onion seeds are more expensive and onion seedlings are bought at higher prices. Then again, taking into account the amount of money spent on fertilizer, irrigation, weeding, picking and cutting the onion, the farmers are not getting the value of the onion. Which is why they are frustrated.

In Kushtia city and suburban markets, onions are being sold at a wholesale price of Tk 23 to 25 per kg and at a retail price of Tk 30 per kg. Garlic wholesale 40 Tk retail 50 Tk per kg.

Meanwhile, theft of onion and garlic from the field continues every day, farmers alleged. Farmers are keeping vigil at night to prevent onion and garlic from their fields.

Meanwhile, Shyamal Kumar Biswas, Deputy Director, Department of Agricultural Extension, Kushtia, said that onion cultivation in Kushtia has exceeded the target this time. The yield has also been good. Farmers are expected to get a fair price for onions this time.

Farmers frustrated at unfair price