GOPALGANJ, Apr 04: Onion farmers of Muksudpur upazila of the district are passing busy time as they have started harvesting the produce recently.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Gopalganj, the crop was cultivated on 2,825 hectares of land with the production target of 29,612 tonnes in the district.
Farmer Prodip Biswas of Charballabdi village said production is good this season. Around 60 to 65 maunds of onion have been produce on one bigha of land.
One kg of onion seed was being sold at Tk 900 to Tk 950 in the market. A farmer had to spend Tk 18,000 to Tk 20,000 for a bigha of land. Now, the newly-harvested onion is being sold at Tk 1200, sources said.
Samir Kumar Goshwami, deputy director (Agriculture), Gopalganj, said, "We hope for a bumper production this season. Growers are happy over the market price also."
Meanwhile,BSS adds: The harvesting of onion is going in full swing in all seven upazilas of the district with much enthusiasm to the farmers.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said a total of 6,695 hectares of land were brought under onion cultivation in the district this year.
Taking advantages of higher market price and favorable climatic condition, farmers cultivated onion on more lands this season.
The cultivators are now busy to collect the onion from their land before further rainfall. The rainfall disrupts the harvesting of onion and wet onion cannot preserve for long time, a DAE official said.
Deputy Director of DAE M Habibur Rahman Chowdhury said the soil of the district especially Shibalaya, Harirampur and Ghior upazilas is suitable for onion cultivation.
It is the top most cash crops in the areas and the high prices in the markets attracted the cultivators to cultivate onion this year, he said.
Most of the cultivators of the district use seeds of 'Taherpury' variety. It gains popularity in the district. It is the best quality onion. Some of the cultivators use their own seeds produced in their lands.