Agriculture Secretary said Indian onion will not enter Bangladesh

Bhanga (Faridpur) Representative>

Onion will not enter Bangladesh due to India's non-compliance. Despite the agreement last year, it suddenly broke the agreement and stopped supplying onions. Then we procured onions from other countries including Turkey at higher prices. This year, India is desperate to supply onions to Bangladesh. We are under a lot of pressure. A lot of pressure has been created on us.

On Wednesday (March 22) morning in Lohardia village of Bhangay Chandra Union of Faridpur under the project titled 'Processing and Distribution of Quality Spice Seeds' under implementation by Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Barisal-

Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Wahida Akhter, said these things in the speech of the chief guest at the seed crop field inspection and exchange meeting of the contracted farmers who produce seeds in Faridpur under the jurisdiction of Faridpur (K. Groh).

He also said,

We have said that if Indian onions enter, the farmers of our country will be deprived of the fair price of onions and will suffer losses. Then farmers will lose their enthusiasm in farming. This time Bangladesh is selling onions for two or three rupees in India. There is a demand of 35 lakh metric tons of onions in Bangladesh. Our Bangladesh has produced 25 lakh metric tons in the past days. There was a shortage of 10 lakh metric. We hope that our target will be fulfilled this time. Hon'ble Prime Minister said that even a piece of land should not remain uncultivated. Farmers heard about Bangabandhu's daughter as they heard about Bangabandhu. Before the exchange of views, he was impressed to see the farmers actually cultivating onion seeds and mentioned that Faridpur seeds would get a brand name. At that time BADC chairman Abdullah Sajjad spoke as a special guest, DA director general Badal Chandra Biswas, BADC board member Mustafizur Rahman, BADC general manager Pradeep Dey, DA director Tajul Islam Patwari, BADC project director Jamilur Rahman etc.

Project Director Jamilur Rahman said that there are five schemes under the purview of BADC in Faridpur district. Among them there are two schemes in Lohardia and Chowkighata villages in Bhanga upazila. In Lohardia village 6 contract farmers cultivated onion seeds on 16.65 acres of land. The government will collect 13.5 metric tons of onion seeds from Faridpur district.

Mustafizur Rahman, Member of the Board of Directors, said, We have distributed free summer onion seeds (N Fifty Three) from Maharashtra state of India to encourage the farmers. We hope that there will be no shortage of onion in Bangladesh. Onion will be cultivated in twelve months. Later the onion farmers gave a speech highlighting different formulas on their onion cultivation.

Meanwhile, the government's decision to stop Indian onion import has been applauded by onion farmers and businessmen.

Bhanga market onion trader. Masud Sheikh said, considering the fact that domestic onions are rising in the market and to get the market price of onions for the farmers of the country, if the import of Indian onions is stopped, then the farmers of the country will get the right price for their cultivated onions. We consider such a decision of the government as a breakthrough step.

Onion grower Mamun Sheikh of Baliachra village of Algi union of upazila said that Bhanga, Saltha, Nagarkanda upazila of Faridpur are famous for onion cultivation. Every year we (farmers) do not get value for the amount of money spent in onion cultivation in pesticides, water consumption, weeding, breaking of onion tops etc. I humbly request the concerned authorities including the Hon'ble Prime Minister to fix a government price for onion purchase along with permanently stopping the import of onion from India to get the right price.