Govt eyes self-sufficiency in onion production
The federal government has taken an initiative to improve onion production in the united states by 10 lakh tonnes next three years so that you can attain self-sufficiency and cut import dependence.
The move comes as repeated bans on onion exports by India create shortfalls through the lean season, forcing people from all walks-of-life to invest exorbitant prices on your kitchen staple.
Bangladesh requires 35 lakh tonnes of onion annually.
To meet up this demand, roughly 11 lakh tonnes of onion are imported every year due to inadequate domestic production, according to a roadmap made by the Ministry of Agriculture.
To achieve self-sufficiency, the agriculture ministry plans to increase the production of modified varieties of onion seeds to ensure that farmers can plant the bulbs both in winter and summer seasons.
"We will give incentives to inspire farmers to create seeds to increase production further and reduce import dependence. We will also make an effort to expand the cultivation area of onions," Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said yesterday.
Farmers cultivated 26 lakh tonnes of onion on 2.38 lakh hectares of land over the last fiscal, in line with the Department of Agricultural Extension.
To be able to increase yields, the total acreage of onion plantations has to be increased to nearly 3 lakh hectares, according to the roadmap.
At the same time, a boost is necessary in seed production. Onion seed production takes a 57 % spike going to 1,100 tonnes by the entire year 2023 from 700 tonnes at the moment, the ministry said.
As part of the government's plans, scientists are suffering from some high yield varieties of onions.
Low yield, too little quality seeds and inadequate acreage are the primary reasons for the shortfall in domestic production.
But this problem could possibly be addressed by expanding cultivation using improved onion seeds. The newly developed seeds create a 15-20 % higher yield in comparison to traditional varieties.
Bangladesh's goal to become self-sufficient in onion production could possibly be made possible by making certain farmers get Tk 35-40 per kilogramme during harvest season and by creating storage facilities to keep seed quality.
The short shelf-life of onion is another significant problem for farmers because they are unable to secure lucrative prices in absence of storage facilities, Razzaque said.
