Rangpur:The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a new record production target of 147,275 tonnes of onions from 12,345 hectares of land in the Rangpur agricultural region for the current Rabi season. This target follows a successful harvest last season, where production exceeded expectations.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the DAE aims to achieve self-sufficiency in local onion production by capitalizing on the increasing trend of onion output in recent years. Last season, farmers produced 143,666 tonnes of onions from 12,105 hectares, surpassing the target of 145,272 tonnes from 11,931 hectares.
In the 2026-2027 Rabi season, production is expected to increase by 3,609 tonnes or 2.51 percent compared to the previous season. Additional Director of DAE for Rangpur region, Agriculturist Md Saiful Islam, noted that the government set this ambitious target to meet the growing demand for onions and stabilize market prices, which remained steady last year.
Farmers have begun cultivating tuber varieties of onions after harvesting Aman rice across Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, and Nilphamari districts. As of Thursday, onions have been planted on 3,196 hectares, with seedlings transplanted on 85 hectares.
The government has implemented various measures to promote self-reliance in spice crops, aiming to reduce imports and save foreign currency. This has led to increased spice crop production in the Rangpur region and nationwide.
Dr Md Mamunur Rashid, a consultant for the Rupantar Project, emphasized the potential to boost onion yield through crop diversification and advanced technologies. Farmers are increasingly interested in onion cultivation, supported by government incentives such as high-quality seeds and fertilizers.
Farmers Yasin Ali, Farhad Hossain, Nurul Huda, and Mofizul Haque have already sown tuber onion seeds post-Aman rice harvest. Mofizar Rahman and Rahima Khatun are preparing to plant onion seedlings by mid-December, continuing the trend of increased onion farming in the region.