RAJSHAHI, Feb 10: Farmers in Bagmara Upazila of the district are making good profit from the sale of immature onions and their leaves.
After a few days, the "Taherpuri Laila" variety of onion, grown in Taherpur Union of the upazila, will be marketed. But, the farmers are already selling onion leaves.
Many growers are harvesting immature onion for getting brisk profits.
Traders from Dhaka are purchasing onion leaves from the farmers in Bagmara.
Local growers are happy for their daily profits from the sale of onion leaves.
Farmers here cultivate onion in two seasons. The onion which is cultivated in Rabi season is called "Laila" and "Secha". They generally plant small-sized "Laila" onion in the Bengali month of Kartik.
Bagmara Upazila agriculture office sources said this year's onion farming target is 4,045 hectares of land in 16 unions and two municipalities of the upazila.
Farmer Abdul Mannan of Balanagar Village in Basupara Union said, "Last year, I cultivated onion in one bigha of land spending Tk 20,000. But, the profit against the expenditure was not good. This year I have bought four maunds of onion seeds at Tk 16,000, and planted those spending Tk 35,000 to 40,000."
Many others of the same village including Ashraful Islam and Abdus Samad, said after seeing the increased price of onion, they have also cultivated it spending a lot.
They also said like the previous years, they are not concerned about the price this year. They are now busy nurturing their fields hoping for high profit.
Farmers claimed disparity in market management is the prime cause behind their bad luck.
When new products are marketed, prices decline. Due to uncertain prices in the last season, the farmers returned home empty handed.
Market sources said per kg onion leaf is selling at Tk 15 to 20.
Farmer Akbar of Balanagar Village said he has been selling onion leaf worth Tk 7,000 to 10,000 per week. It is higher than the last season's weekly onion sale.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Rajibur Rahman said many growers here were frustrated as they did not get fair prices of onion last year. Seeing crisis of onion across the country, growers have shifted to massive onion farming with an aim to get profit much.
He also said it is expected that through marketing of the new onion, the growers will make a remarkable role.
