Additional 50 lakh tonnes of onion worth around lie -150 crore could be produced in 16 districts under Rajshahi division by bringing about five lakh hectares of fallow lands under its cultivation in summer season, experts said.
Officials of Northwest Crop Diversification Project (NCDP) said some five lakh hectares always remain fallow during the Kharif season every year. Onion can easily be cultivated in these lands during the season before the next crop.
Talking to BSS, NCDP Manager Dr. Shaharuk Ahmed said onion can be cultivated in the lands in summer and harvested after 120 days.
He also said farmers in the region cultivate onion of local vaneties only in winter season, which can not meet p the country's increasing demand.
They cultivate value added crops like onion, chili and pulses etc only in five per cent of their total lands. This is the lowest percentage compared to any other region of the country.
Considering the agricultural, environment and socio-economic condition of the region, NCDP has taken a massive program. The work on about Tk 500 crore Char Jibikayan Project (Char Livelihood Project) is set to begin in January.
A meeting to implement the Project in five districts was held in
the conference room of Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner on Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner Humayun Kabir presided over the meeting while CLP team leader Roland Hodson was the chief guest.
The meeting was addressed, among other, by CLP Coordinator Azizul Islam Bhuiyan, Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) and Union Parishad chairmen.
The meeting was told that the British donor agency DFID would spend about Tk. 500 crore under the project for poverty alleviation in char lands in the districts of Jamalpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Sirajganj and Bogra.
About 20 lakh poor people
including women and children in the char areas of the Jamuna and Brahmaputra river will be benefited after implementation of the project.
Activities like formation of farmers team, training, crop preservation, development of market system are progressing fast to make the programme a success, he said.
According to official sources, a total of 105 demonstration plots have been selected under the programme in 16 upazilas to motivate farmers.
More 500 demonstration plots are there in 50 upazilas under communityprogrammes.
Cultivation of summer variety onion will save a huge amount of foreign exchanges now being spent
for onion import.
Bangladesh now produces around 1.6 lakh tonnes of onion in 34 thousand hectares against an annual requirement of 3.5 lakh tonnes. The rest is imported at a cost of around Tk 500 crore, officials said.
Some growers like Abdus Samad, Alai Hossain and Moniruzzaman told BSS that onion cultivation in the summer season has created great hopes in their areas.
Regular visit by the experts and official and supply of seed and other inputs to farmers has inspired them to cultivate the cash crop in lean period, they said.