Muksudpur upazila of the district has experienced a large production of onion seed, which is gradually being considered one of the most profitable agricultural varieties by the local farmers.
The farmers are not only making profits but also being able to supply quality onion seed to others, thus playing a pivotal role in the increase of local production.
Sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Muksudpur said it would be a relief for the country to have the onion import burden removed.
The sources added that onion, a vastly used spice, has been grown on 350 hectares of land in the upazila this year and the onion seed production per hectare is expected to be around 500 kg priced at Tk1 lakh.
Nazmul Hasan, a farmer from Posargati village, said: “Onion seed farming is very profitable and I produced 27 kg on nine decimals of land last year.”
The quality of the seeds supplied by the local DAE is very good, and the growing rate is 90-95%. That is why we started commercially producing onion seed, the farmer added.
Muksudpur DAE official Abul Bashar Miah said we supply quality onion seeds to the farmers so that farming of the crops increases and the farmers can reap the rewards.
Another official, Dr Mosarraf Hossain, echoed Bashar, adding that the country imports huge quantities of onion from India and thus the latter controls its price. “To lessen the burden, the government has taken on the onion seed production and expansion project and the farmers also get special facilities.”