Like other parts of the country, onion prices shot up in the wholesale markets across Rajshahi, one of the onion-producing hubs. As a result, farmers have started harvesting the Murikata variety of onions ahead of time.
However, farmers are not benefiting from the unusual price hike since they sell the Murikata onions at Tk70-80 per kg, but the retail price is around Tk150.
Moreover, the tender onions of the Murikata variety are much lighter in weight. The farmers are foregoing their future yield, which could have been much better.
On the other hand, the common variety (from the previous season) is being sold at Tk160-180 per kg in the local markets.
Goalanda Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Khokonuzzaman said farmers harvested onions 15 days in advance, and as a result, they are losing around 15 mounds of onions per acre.
Mozdar Hossain, deputy director of Rajshahi Department Agricultural Extension (DAE), said: "Murikata and Nasik N-53 varieties of onions have started to arrive in the market. So far, about 10,000 tons of new onions have arrived in the market. Farmers will bring another 7,000 tons to the market in the next two days."
He said the farmers are harvesting onions ahead of time but are not getting a fair price. "The market will be filled with new onions very soon. Then the price will drop further. This will affect the farmers."
Meanwhile, local farmers blamed the intermediaries for the spiraling price of onions and said they harvested their produce early in the hope of some quick gain. But in reality, they are not much benefited by this early harvesting.
Farmer Mamrul Islam from Bagmara upazila said: "I planted onions on two acres of land and am selling Murikata onions at Tk80 per kg, which are being sold in the market at much higher prices."
Another farmer said that Murikata and summer varieties of onions will be available for three to three months and a half. After that, the main variety of onions will start coming into the market, which will cool down the market further.
Retailers have been selling onions for as high as Tk200 per kg in and outside Dhaka since Friday, which was Tk130 a day earlier, a shocking development for consumers reeling from the higher cost of living.
The prices jumped after India extended the onion export ban on Friday.
However, the government has taken strict measures, including mobile courts across the country, to check prices.
