Farmers in Saltha, Faridpur, one of the country's largest onion-producing regions, face disaster in onion cultivation

Farmers in Saltha upazila of Faridpur, one of the country's largest onion-producing regions, are facing disaster in onion cultivation. In the current season, it cost farmers an average of over Tk 2,000 to produce a maund of onions, yet those onions are being sold in the market for only Tk 1,450 to Tk 1,600. As a result, farmers are incurring a loss of Tk 400 to Tk 550 on every maund of onions.

Visiting Balia Bazar, Thenthenia Haat and various other areas in Saltha upazila on Friday (June 27), it was observed that the number of sellers far exceeded buyers. Many were returning home in frustration without selling their onions. A farmer who came to sell onions at Balia Bazar said, "Including fertilizer, seeds, pesticides, labor, water—everything combined, it cost an average of Tk 2,000 per maund of onions. Now we have to sell at Tk 1,450. What will we eat?"

Khalil Hossain, a farmer who came to Thenthenia Haat, said, "I kept them at home hoping for a good price, but now 30 percent of those onions have rotted. The rest also have to be sold at a loss. If the market price was Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,350 now, at least there wouldn't be a loss." Thousands of maunds of onions are bought and sold in the weekly markets of almost every union in Saltha.

Wholesalers from Faridpur as well as surrounding districts and divisional cities buy truckloads of onions from these markets: Nakulhati, Thenthenia, Saltha Sadar, Balia Gotti, Kagdi, Joykail, Montar Mor, Majhardia, Baushkhali, Yadunandi. Farmers say that if there is no fair price for important crops like onions, farmers will turn away from cultivation in the future. Farmer Siraj Molla said, "We want the minimum price per maund of onions to be fixed at Tk 2,200 to Tk 2,500.

Otherwise, farmers like us will stop growing onions." Farmers demand that government assistance is needed for onions just like rice and wheat. Besides, building cold storages in every union can largely avoid this problem of price drops through preservation. According to the upazila agriculture office sources, onions have been cultivated on about 12,300 hectares of land in Saltha in the current season. Production has exceeded 1.68 lakh metric tons. Upazila Additional Agriculture Officer Sudip Biswas said, "The yield has been very good. Farmers have worked hard.

However, prices have fallen somewhat now due to increased supply in the market. We are by the side of the farmers with courage and advice." Upazila Agriculture Officer Krishibid Sudarshan Sikdar said, "The agricultural product market is always challenging. Recently, due to rainfall and increased supply from outside, prices have fallen. Hopefully, the situation will improve within a few days."