Photo: BSS

RANGPUR, June 8, 2026 (BSS) – Farmers in Rangpur agricultural region have set an instance in gradually making the country self-reliant in the production of this spicy crop by producing an all-time record 1,43,666 tonnes of onions in the just-concluded 2025-2026 Rabi season. 

The produced 1,43,666 tonnes of onions from 12,105 hectares of land in the just-concluded 2025-2026 Rabi season is higher by 23,855 tonnes against the production of 1,19,811 tonnes of onions 10,223 hectares of land in the 2024-2025 Rabi season.
 
Earlier, in the previous 2023-2024 Rabi season, farmers produced 1,18,491 tonnes of onions from 10,006 hectares of land and 1,04,263 tonnes from 8,834 hectares of land in the previous 2022-2023 Rabi season.
 
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials said that onion production is increasing following various pragmatic steps taken by the government in recent years to enhance production and meet the country's demand with locally produced onions.
 
Earlier, the DAE had set a record target of producing 1,45,272 tonnes of onions from 11,931 hectares of land for all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari in the region during the 2025-2026 Rabi season. 
 
The record onion production target was set considering the growing demand and high prices to meet local demand of the essential spicy commodity with locally produced onions.  

As a result, farmers started cultivating early-season onions in their fields immediately after harvesting the short-term Aman rice in September and started harvesting early-season onions along with transplanting onion seedlings from mid-November.
 
However, Transplantation of onion seedlings continued till February last. 
 
“Finally, farmers brought 12,105 hectares of land under onion cultivation exceeding the fixed farming target by 174 hectares of land or 1.46 percent,” Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md Shirajul Islam told BSS. 

After completing harvest last month, enthusiastic farmers produced 1,43,666 tonnes of onions at an excellent average yield rate of 11.87 tonnes per hectare of land in the 2025-2026 Rabi season. 

The DAE, Spices Research Institute and other agriculture-related organizations are working relentlessly to further increase onion production to meet local demand and achieve self-reliance. 

“There is a bright prospect of further increasing onion production by ensuring proper crop diversification and providing more training and latest technology to farmers across the region,” Shirajul Islam added.
  
According to market sources, the price of local high-quality onions in the retail market in this region is now between Taka 28 and Taka 36 per kg, which is slightly lower than the price a month ago. 

Talking to BSS, farmers Nur Islam and Mosaddek Hossain of Gangachara upazila, Osman Gani of Badarganj upazila and Abdul Hye of Kawnia upazila in Rangpur said that they are happy getting the bumper onion yield and good prices this time.
 
They thanked the government for distributing free high-quality onion seeds and fertilizer as incentives to encourage onion cultivation in more land to achieve bumper yields in the just-concluded Rabi season.