Farmers in Faridpur district are happy with the onion yield and reasonably good prices of the winter crop this season. Harvesting of transplanted ‘Murikata’ variety of onion has already started in different places of the district and is being sent to the kitchen markets across the country. According to market sources, onion is being sold at Tk 1,500 to Tk 1,600 per maund (37.34kg). Some farmers have expressed satisfaction over onion price prevailing in several markets in the district.
Onions are of three kinds—Murikata, Hali and Dana. Murikata onions are harvested in December, Hali in March and Dana in April. Each variety takes nearly three month’s time to mature after plantation. Khalilur Rahman, a farmer of Char Madhabdia area in Sadar upazila, said he cultivated Murikata variety of onion on one bigha (33 decimals) of land and got 30 to 35 maunds of yield. His onion sale proceeds would go up to Tk 48,000 to Tk 50,000, while production cost is about Tk 25,000.
Farmer Siddique of Haji Dangi village in Char Bhadrasan upazila said he cultivated the variety on 15 decimals of high land and got 20 maunds of output. His net profit is about Tk 15,000d exclusive of all costs, he said adding the climate has favoured the onion farming during the current season. Majid Sheikh, a marginal farmer of Talma area in Nagarkanda upazila, said he cultivated onion on ten decimals of land in the current season and yield is comparatively well because of the favourable climate. His net profit from onion cultivation is nearly Tk 8,000, he said. GM Abdur Rouf, deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Faridpur said a total of 5,250 hectares of land have been brought under Murikata onion cultivation in nine upazilas of the district. He also said agricultural inputs—fertiliser and pesticide – have been made available for the farmers for producing Rabi crops, including Murikata onion.