The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

Farmers are expecting a bumper production of onion this year in the northern region of the country with the early variety of the crop started arriving in the local markets in plenty.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of producing 3,81,720 tonnes of onion from 63,620 hectares in the region during the current Rabi season, DAE officials said here on Monday.

They said the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) and a number of NGOs had taken adequate steps to make the onion- farming programme successful.

Steps had been taken for providing adequate training, technical assistance, inputs, high quality imported and locally produced seeds and agri-loans to the farmers under various programmes of different government and non-government organisations, including the Northwest Crop Diversification Project.

More steps have been taken to increase production of onion in the current Rabi season, deputy director of DAE, Rangpur, Kamal Shariful Alam told BSS on Monday. Senior officials in the DAE, the BADC and the BARI said onion import would be reduced significantly next year if its production target were achieved.

They hoped that onion production in the region would continue to increase due to the impetus being given to the sector.

The crop is now being cultivated twice a year instead only in winter season in the past.

Last year, the DAE fixed a target of producing 3,53,006 tonnes of onion from 60,549 hectares in the country's 16 northern districts and the target was achieved, official sources added.