Onion seed growers expect bumper crop
Onion seed growers found in Faridpur, among the most significant onion-producing districts, expect bumper yields this season thanks to favourable weather.
Farmers have got cultivated different varieties of bulbs for seeds such as for example Rajshahi Tahirpur, Superking, Sukhsagar, BARI-4, and Nasik King, aside from hybrid onion seeds.
Faridpur has been a key hub for onion seed creation for years as a result of suitable weather and soil.
"My grandfather used to cultivate onion seeds, and I am doing this too. A lot of the farmers of our region have been cultivating onion seeds for generations," said Abul Hasan Tuhin, a farmer at Vasanchar village in the sadar upazila of the district.
Faridpur may be the second-biggest onion-producing district, followed by Pabna. It accounted for 15 % of the total total annual creation of 18 lakh tonnes in the fiscal yr 2018-19, data from the Bangladesh Burau of Figures showed.
In Bangladesh, farmers produce about 700 tonnes of onion seeds annually, and Faridpur makes up about 60-65 % of the production.
The first week of November to the second week of December is well suited for onion cultivation, and the harvesting begins in the first week of April.
Tuhin cultivated onion seeds on 2.5 acres of land this season. He invested Tk 70,000. "I hope I will be able to handbag 5.25 maunds of onion seeds," the 34-year-old said.
Growers experience extended the cultivation of onions for seeds to at least one 1,711 hectares in nine upazilas in Faridpur, up 22 % from 1,400 hectares the prior year, data from the district business office of the Section of Agricultural Extension (DAE) showed.
During a go to Vasanchar village, this correspondent found that onion growers had been passing busy period. Some farmers had been hopeful in regards to a bumper yield.
Md Halim Mollah, an onion seed grower on Uttar Alipur of Faridpur upazila, grew onion seeds about four acres this year and said he expected an excellent yield this year.
Last year, the 70-year-aged farmer took home 3.1 maunds of seeds and sold them at Tk 7 lakh.
"The farmers in my vicinity cultivate onion seeds since it is more rewarding than other crops. Thus, we expand them in every of our lands," stated Saidur Rahman, another previous from Vasanchar village.
Shahida Begum, a seed grower in Gobindapur village of Faridpur, planted onion seeds on 35 acres of land at an expenditure of Tk 84 lakh.
She is expecting 350 maunds of onion seeds. Last year, she bagged 200 maunds of onion seeds and distributed each maund at Tk 2 lakh.
Farmers are more thinking about cultivating the bulb following the prices of the favorite cooking ingredient experienced the roof within the last two years following a great export ban by India.
Farmers cultivated onions on 2.53 lakh hectares of land this season, up 7 % year-on-year, DAE showed.
Farmers say they usually sell a single maund of onions seeds in Tk 1 lakh. The purchase price rose as a result of the popular from manufacturers at the start of the cultivation time.
"We will be in a position to make money if we can put up for sale each maund at Tk 1.2 lakh," said Begum, who markets seeds to farmers from Rajbari, Pabna, Gopalganj, and Madaripur.
Hazrat Ali, deputy director of the DAE in Faridpur, said: "Farmers are turning to onion seed cultivation as it is more lucrative than other crops."
"We expect 1,000 tonnes of onion seeds this season if no normal disaster strikes."
