Vast Teesta char lands under onion farming
Char farmers have cultivated onion on vast tracts of char lands in the Teesta river this year as they got unexpected profit from selling the produce last year.
ShakerAli, 56, a farmer of Char Paruliya in Hatibandha upazila, said he did not cultivate onion on char land in the past, but he has cultivated the item on four bighas this year for first time as he saw the unexpected profit earned by other farmers. “If the onion market this year is like last year's, I will earn Tk 1.50 lakh from selling onions,” he said.
Naser Uddin, 63, of the same char, said he cultivated onion on six bighas this year, while it was only two bighas last year. “I got profit of Tk 63,000 from selling onions from two bighas last year, while I spent only Tk 5,000,” he said, adding that he got bumper production of onion and the production cost is low.
“The weather is favourable for cultivating onion, and we hope that we will get bumper production and fair prices this year also,” said Nazrul Islam, 50, of Char Sindurna in Hatibandha upazila. “Many middlemen visited us in the char for purchasing onion last year, and we expect that they will visit us this year also,” he said.
Vegetable trader Ataur Rahman, 48, of Bhotmari kitchen market in Kaliganj upazila, said they purchased onion from farmers in the char areas last year as there was a good demand for onion in the local market. “If we see high demand for onion this year we will of course go to char farmers for purchasing the item at fair prices,” he said.
Hatibandha Upazila Agriculture Officer Anowar Hossain said farmers get 20 maunds to 35 maunds of onion from each bigha of char land, while spending only Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,500. “Our officials visit the char farmers and provide them technical input for better farming of onion,” he said.
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