Onion prices have soared in the recent weeks, yet the farmers in the district still feel deprived.
According to the Agriculture Extension Department (DAE) sources, a total of 5240 hectares of land have been used for the cultivation of onion in the district this year.
Bumper crop has been achieved with a production of 58250 tonnes. But this has failed to make the farmers happy as they were cheated by the wholesalers.
The crop is being sold in the retail market at Tk24 per kg. But the farmers had sold it at Tk10 per kg to the wholesalers.
The farmers alleged that they had been exploited through the formation of a wholesalers’ syndicate.
Farmer Abdul Kader of Moheshpur village under the Sreepur upazila said they had sold the crop to the wholesalers at Tk10 per kg three weeks ago and it is now being sold in the retail market for Tk24 per kg.
When contacted, Akram Mollah, a wholesaler in the Magura Katcha Bazar, denied the allegation a formation of a syndicate.
He added that high production of onion has been achieved throughout the country and yet, the Indian onion had flooded the local markets.
Requesting anonymity, a DAE official admitted that the gap in onion price between retail and wholesale markets is big.