High prices prompt more cultivation

Farmers in Jashore are expanding their commercial cultivation of onions this year, expecting a better yield and higher profits than the previous year.

The high demand and good price for onions in the market have encouraged the farmers to cultivate the crop on more lands this year, said agriculture officials.

Winter onion cultivation in eight upazilas of the district has been targeted on 1,500 hectares of land this year, compared to 1,200 hectares last year, said Sushanto Kumar Tarafdar, deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension in Jashore.

Also, summer onions of N-53 variety were cultivated on 300 hectares of land, and harvest has begun as well. Around 2,500 farmers in the district have been given agricultural incentives, including fertiliser and seeds, for the production of N-53 onion variety, he also said.

The number of farmers receiving incentives may increase next year as more are showing interest in onion cultivation in Jashore, he added.

The off-season cultivation of summer onion has been particularly good in Chougachha, Jhikargachha, and Sadar upazilas.

"I planted onions on 66 acres of land at a cost of around Tk 70,000. I have started harvesting the crop, expecting a yield of around 120 maunds. Hopefully, I will fetch a good profit," said farmer Golam Mustafa of Hazrakhana village under Chougachha upazila.

Meanwhile, with new onions coming to the markets, the price has started to come down.

"Wholesale new onions are being sold at Tk 70-80 per kg and old onions at Tk 130-140," said Kamal Hossain, a wholesaler in Jashore's Kalibari area.