The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of producing 3,85,200 tonnes onion from 64,200 hectares of land in the country's 16 northern districts.

Sources said the DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) and a number of NGOs have taken necessary steps to make the onion cultivation a success in the region.

Under the programme, 1,900 hectares of land will be brought under onion farming each in Rangpur and Gaibandha, 700 hectares in Lalmonirhat, 1,000 hectares each in Nilphamari and Kurigram, 3,000 hectares in Dinajpur, 800 hectares in Thakurgaon and 1,600 hectares in Panchagarh districts in Rangpur Agriculture Zone.

Similarly, a total of 52,300 hectares of land will be brought under onion farming in other eight districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Pabna, Sirajganj, Bogra and 1,389 hectares in Joypurhat districts under Rajshahi Agriculture Zone this season.

Adequate training, technical assistances, inputs, high quality imported and locally produced seeds and agri-loans are being provided to the farmers under a number of programmes of different government and non-government organisations.

The sources said the special steps, taken in recent years to produce onion during the summer and winter seasons, helped increasing onion production to keep the price of this spicy crop within tolerable limit.

Similar steps have been taken to increase production of onion in the current Rabi season, deputy director of DAE of the Rangpur Agriculture Zone Office, Nur Mohammad said. Senior agro-experts with the DAE, BADC and BARI said onion import would be reduced further next year if its production target was achieved.