RAJSHAHI, May 6, (V7N) — Farmers in Rajshahi have produced a record 720,818 metric tons of onions this season, cultivated on 3,608 hectares of land, but many are facing heavy losses as market prices remain far below production costs.

Wholesale prices currently stand at Tk 800–900 per maund, while retail prices hover around Tk 30–40 per kg. Farmers say the cost of producing one maund of onions ranges from Tk 1,500–1,800, leaving them unable to recover expenses.

Many farmers, including Ahad Ali of Durgapur and Shukur Mohammad of Poba, reported losses of Tk 20,000–40,000 per bigha, especially for those cultivating on leased land where costs rise to Tk 70,000–90,000 per bigha. They blame onion imports for depressing local prices just as domestic “murikata” onions entered the market.

Some farmers, like Nur Mohammad of Bagmara, are storing their harvest, fearing further price drops if everyone sells at once. Officials acknowledge that while Bangladesh is nearing self‑sufficiency in onion production, ensuring fair prices remains a major challenge.

Obaidur Rahman Mandal, director of the Department of Agricultural Extension’s field service branch, said the government has distributed 8,000 airflow storage machines and allocated another 4,000 to help farmers store onions longer and sell later at better prices.

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