Continuous falling prices of onion in the market is making it difficult for Kushtia farmers to recover the production cost in spite of a good harvest in 2022.
Wholesale prices of onion was at Tk15 to Tk20 per kg while retail price of onion was at Tk400 to Tk800 per maund, reported UNB after visiting the largest onion market of Kushtia at Ponti in Kumarkhali upazila on Friday.
According to farmers they are getting some Tk400 to Tk500 less profit per maund in 2022 compared to 2020 and 2021.
According to the Kushtia Agricultural Extension Department, onions have been cultivated in 13,734 hectares of land in the district during this Robi season (October 15 to March 15).
Onion prices started falling immediately after the new harvest arrived in the market as the retail price was at Tk35 to Tk40 per Kg just two weeks ago.
“Production per kilogram of onion has cost a farmer some Tk25 to Tk35 including the prices of seeds, pesticides, workers, transport. The farmers are counting a loss of Tk10 to Tk18 selling the onions at Tk15 to Tk17 at the market.
Due to good weather some 60 to 80 maunds of onion have been produced per 2,700 square feet of land (1 Bigha) this season, said Faridh Sheikh, a onion farmer from Jotmora village in Kumarkhali Upazila.
Some 400 villagers of tobacco cultivation based Kamardanga village in Mirpur upazila cultivated onions in their lands instead of tobacco, said Abdus Sattar, an octogenarian farmer of the village.
“With the falling price of onions we will lose interest in onion cultivation,'' he said.
Kushtia District Agriculture Extension Office (Khamarbari) Additional Deputy Director (Crops) Bishnupad Saha said “As the price of onion in the market is now on the decline farmers will face losses if they sell onions.”
He advised to preserve onions in the local method at the farmer level without selling now.
