Onion Seed Production Worth 23 crore taka possible in Thakurgaon district

Thakurgaon correspondent: Farmers of Thakurgaon are dreaming of profiting by cultivating onion seeds known as 'black gold'. The district is expected to produce onion seeds worth Tk 23 crore this year. Farmers have shown interest in seed cultivation in the past few years due to good yield and price.

In Charol village of Baliadangi upazila, one can see field after field of onion seed covered with white flowers. Not only the farmers have benefited from these fields, local youth have also been given employment.

Farmers say that if there is no pollination, onion flowers will not mature. Pollination is mainly done by bees. However, due to the use of pesticides, the movement of bees in the seed fields has decreased. As a result, farmers continue to try artificial pollination with brooms and hands.

Farmer Abu Sufian of Rahimanpur village is dreaming of success by cultivating onion seeds. He said, this year he cultivated onion seeds in about 8 bigha land. Onion seeds produced by him are supplied to different districts of the country. As the yield is good, he is expecting a profit of around Tk 4 lakh. As the soil and climate are suitable for onion seed production, other farmers of the district have also become interested in this cultivation.

Local youths work in the onion fields for a daily wage of Tk 400 to 500. He is supporting the family with the earned money. Student Lovely says that besides studying, I work to eat onions and I earn 400 taka, which covers my writing expenses.

Thakurgaon Agriculture Extension Directorate Additional Deputy Director (Crops) Alamgir Kabir said that onion seeds have been planted in 112 hectares of land in the district this season, which is one hectare less than last year. If 900 kg of seeds per hectare, the market value of which is about Tk 23 crore.