Onion cultivation in Faridpur has exceeded the target this season, with favorable weather contributing to a bumper harvest.
However, farmers say they are struggling to make satisfactory profits as onions are currently selling for Tk1,000-Tk1,300 per maund (40kg), depending on quality and variety.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) says the district has enough locally produced onions to meet market demand and there is no immediate need to import the crop.
Faridpur is the country’s second-largest onion-producing district. According to the DAE, the cultivation target for the current season was 40,313 hectares, but farmers cultivated onions on 47,036 hectares. Production is estimated at around 751,000 tonnes.
Farmers in the district mainly cultivate high-yielding varieties, with the king variety being particularly popular because of its relatively large bulbs and higher yield.
Despite the good harvest, growers say rising production costs, labor wages and storage expenses have made it difficult to earn the expected returns.
Several farmers at ThenThenia market, including Bazlur Rahman, Abu Talem Molla, Hasmat Sheikh and Saiful Islam, said the yield had been good but prices remained disappointing.
“We had a good harvest this year. We are selling onions for Tk1,000-Tk1,300 per maund. If the price were a little higher, we could make a reasonable profit,” they said.
Farmers also said a lack of modern storage facilities had resulted in significant post-harvest losses.
“If we could store the onions properly, we could prevent them from rotting and supply more onions to the market. This would benefit farmers and help maintain market stability,” they said.
The agriculture department said farmers across the district still have a significant quantity of onions in stock.
Shahaduzzaman, deputy director of the DAE in Faridpur, said locally produced onions were sufficient to meet market demand.
