The humble farmer who made Tk 2.5cr off her onion seeds
Sahida Begum was busy arranging lunch for her 10 farm hands when this correspondent went to her house on Friday around 11:30am.
There was little to give away the fact that this humble 43-year-old farmer of Faridpur's Gobindapur village had accomplished a remarkable feat: attaining a profit of Tk 2.5 crore selling onion seeds.
"This year I got 200 maunds of onion seed from 30 acres of land spending Tk 1 crore," she said explaining that each maund sold for Tk 2 lakh.
"Onion growers from different parts of our country came to buy our seed. Demand has been good…even if I had 500 maunds, I could have easily sold it," she added.
This achievement did not come about overnight. It was back in 2004 that she took up onion seed cultivation on 20 decimals of land. That year she got only two maunds which she sold for Tk 80,000.
Next year it was 13 mounds, each selling for Tk 40,000. This perked her interest, as the profits were good. The next year she took lease of more land and attained 32 maunds. And this practice continued for the following years.
"Last year I cultivated on 15 acres of land and got 150 maunds. Every year I try to cultivate new varieties so that farmers can get bumper production," said Sahida Begum.
"Now I am producing different varieties, including Rajshahi Tahripur, Superking, Sukhsagar, Nasirking and also hybrid ones," she said.
"The seed production has already started. After sorting, the onion bulbs have been taken to the field to be planted. The November-December period is the proper time to plant bulbs for onion seed," she said.
She packs her products in her own home under the brand "Khan Seed" and even offers delivery service to customers.
"Onion growers of our area do not cultivate anything other than with her seeds. Her onion seeds are excellent," compliments onion grower Md Habibur Rahman of Kalipur village under Mashpur upazila in Jhenaidah while talking to this correspondent over the phone.
Praises also came from Laboni Begum, one of the 50 or so locals she employs during onion seed harvesting period.
"Sahida is an excellent woman. She works with us at her field. She takes her meals with us. She cooks for us as a family member," she said.
Losing her job at a local cotton mill in the fallouts of the pandemic, Laboni Begum was offered to work on the fields by Sahida Begum for Tk 400 a day. "It was really a great offer for me to run my family," she said.
Amidst all this, Sahida Begum has gone on to raise two daughters, one currently a banker and the other studying in class nine at Faridpur Government Girls' High School.
Her husband Md Baktar Hossain, also a banker by profession, was supervising workers on the planting of onion bulbs during this correspondent's visit.
He said he always tried to help her on the weekends at the fields, four acres their own and the rest taken on lease.
"My wife works early morning to late night for this onion seeds. Onion seeds have to be nurtured like a child, otherwise its quality is lost. She has been doing this work alone with the workers for years," he said.
"My wife is now a competent farmer just like any other man could be. I am very proud of her," said Hossain.
"Many young and educated men and women became interested in cultivating onion seeds seeing my work. They come to me to know how I cultivate onion seed," said Sahida Begum, now an icon for farmers in Faridpur sadar upazila.
"Sahida is our listed onion seed producer. The quality of her seeds is excellent. So, onion growers from different parts of our country buy her seeds," said Ashutosh Biswas, assistant deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension.
"Faridpur is in second position in terms of onion production and supply all over the country. Besides, 60 to 70 per cent of the demand of onion seeds in the country is fulfilled from Faridpur," he added.
"Onion seeds were cultivated on 1,415 hectares of land in Bhanga, Nagarkanda, Saltha and Faridpur sadar upazilas last year. A total of 849 tonnes of onion seeds were produced," he said.
Sahida Begum suggests the government build cold storages, saying it would generate more interest among people to cultivate onion.
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