RANGPUR, Nov 14, 2018 (BSS) -The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE)
has fixed a target of producing about 1.19-lakh tonnes of onion from 10,799
hectares of land in all eight districts of Rangpur division during this Rabi
season.
The DAE officials said farmers started sowing seeds of the early varieties
of onion from October last after harvesting short duration Transplanted Aman
rice.
“Farmers have already sowed onion seed on 2,000 hectares of land in two
agriculture regions under Rangpur division,” said Khondker Md. Mesbahul
Islam, horticulture specialist of the DAE at its regional office here.
The process of sowing onion seed will get full momentum by this month-end
and continue till the third week of December while transplantation of onion
seedling will end by the middle of January next.
Under the programme, farmers will cultivate onion on 1,978 hectares of land
in Rangpur, 1,120 hectares in Gaibandha, 1,505 hectares in Kurigram, 975
hectares in Lalmonirhat and 1,290 hectares of land in Nilphamari under
Rangpur agriculture region.
“Besides, farmers will bring 2,300 hectares of land under onion cultivation
programme in Dinajpur, 350 hectares in Thakurgaon and 1,281 hectares in
Panchagarh districts under Dinajpur agriculture region,” Islam added.
Talking to BSS today, DAE Deputy Director Md Moniruzzaman said the
government has taken adequate steps to make the intensive onion farming
programme successful this season.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Agriculture
Development Corporation, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture and NGOs
are supplying quality seeds and providing technical assistance to farmers.
The commercial banks, including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, are
disbursing easy-term agriculture loans among farmers to make the onion and
other winter crops’ farming programme a success in the division.
“Besides, the DAE is providing training, technologies and quality seed to
farmers through the third phase of production, preservation and distribution
of high quality pulse, oil and spicy crops project to make onion framing
programme successful,” he said.
Vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Bazar today said early
variety of winter onion already appeared in local markets reducing market of
onion by Taka 3 to 5 per kg in recent days.
“The imported Indian onion is being sold at Taka 25 per kilogram against
the local variety old onion at Taka 38 while newly harvested winter onion at
Taka 30 in retail markets now,” Hafizur said.
DAE official Md Shah Alam said farmers are expanding cultivation of winter
and summer varieties of onion and increasing output.
“After getting repeated bumper output and profits in recent years, farmers
are cultivating onion twice a year to increase its production availing
government assistance,” Alam added.