Saltha, in Faridpur, known as the “capital of jute and onion,” has had a bumper onion harvest this year. But with market prices lower than production costs, farmers are in trouble. Production costs run 1,500 to 2,000 taka a maund, while onions are selling in the market for 800 to 1,250 taka. On top of that, 40 to 50 percent of stored onions are rotting on storage racks. Farmers are desperate, fearing losses.
According to the upazila agriculture office, the upazila’s eight unions have about 50,000 farmers in total, cultivating roughly 15,000 hectares of farmland. During onion season, more than 30,000 farmers across the upazila’s eight unions plant onions on 90 to 95 percent of that land. This season’s onion-cultivation target was 11,250 hectares; actual cultivation exceeded that target, reaching about 11,500 hectares. An additional 200 hectares of muri-kata (early-season) onions and 50 hectares of onion seed are also under cultivation. Altogether, the upazila has seen a bumper onion harvest this season. Farmers are now unhappy over prices.
A visit to markets across the upazila’s eight unions — Saltha Sadar Bazar, Nakulhati, Thenthenia, Montarmore, Fulbaria, Majhardia, Sonapur and Balia Bazar — found onion prices ranging from 800 to 1,300 taka a maund. In some places, farmers unable to get a fair price are dumping onions into the water. Many chose not to sell their onions at the start of the season, storing them instead to sell later in the season. That plan hasn’t worked out this year, however, with 40 to 50 percent of the stored onions rotting on the racks. Amid this, farmers and others are calling for increased agricultural incentives for onion cultivation alongside higher field-level prices. Many are also calling for a halt to onion imports.
Md Masum Sardar, an onion trader at Saltha Sadar Bazar, said the onion market is down today because of high supply and low demand at wholesale markets. Prices ranged from 700 to 1,250 taka today, he said, while thin or small onions fetched 1,600 to 1,800 taka. Prices may rise early next month, he said.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Ahsanul Habib Al Azad Jony said that under this year’s agricultural incentive program, 800 farmers in the upazila received free onion seed and fertilizer. There is some dissatisfaction among farmers over onion prices, he said, adding that he hopes farmers will get a fair price for their onions. Alongside increasing incentives, he said, the matter of onion storage facilities will be raised with senior authorities.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report