Despite losses over several seasons, farmers in Pabna have started planting early muri-kata onion, grown from small bulbs cut at the top. This year it costs Tk 5,000 to 10,000 more a bigha than last, and they fear they will not recover the extra cost at a fair price, Krishi Shomoy reports.
The district target is 8,930 hectares: 1,716 in Sadar, 360 in Atgharia, 811 in Ishwardi, 440 in Chatmohar, 40 in Bhangura, 355 in Faridpur, 2,000 in Bera, 1,613 in Santhia and 1,585 in Sujanagar upazila, with a production target of 139,932 tonnes.
Yasin Ali of Kolchuri in Chartarapur, Sadar upazila, has planted 10 bighas. He could not get fertiliser from the dealer this year and paid Tk 2,200 for a bag of DAP; a labourer who cost Tk 600 now costs Tk 700; seed bulbs cost Tk 2,200-2,500 a maund at planting, and because they were larger he needed at least 15 maunds a bigha. With land rent, his cost will be Tk 70,000-80,000 a bigha.
Aslam Uddin of Kamardulia village in Sujanagar said hybrid types such as Lal Teer dominate in Pabna; seed now costs Tk 2,500 a maund and a bigha takes 18-20 maunds. Some fertiliser is available from dealers at the government price, but a day in the queue yields one bag at most, so farmers buy from retail shops at higher prices. He puts this year's cost at Tk 70,000-90,000 a bigha, against Tk 60,000-80,000 last year.
Baku Khan of the same village said that with fuel dearer, a single power-tiller pass now costs Tk 900, and irrigation that cost Tk 1,200 will cost Tk 1,500-1,800. Unless onions fetch at least Tk 2,500 a maund, he said, farmers will be in trouble again.
Lutfar Rahman, additional deputy director (crops) of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Pabna, said muri-kata onion is grown to supply the market before the seedling crop arrives. Farmers still have onions in store, and many have cut back after several poor seasons. He said many farmers use far more fertiliser than needed, which raises costs and lowers quality so the onions do not keep; balanced use of fertiliser and pesticide would cut costs and help farmers get better prices.
Reported by the Krishi Shomoy correspondent in Pabna.
Photo: onion production in Bangladesh, Shmunmun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Krishi Shomoy
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