Photo: BSS

KHULNA, Dec 7, 2025 (BSS) - The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) 
has set a target of producing 18,878 tonnes of onion from 1,811 hectares of 
land for Khulna agricultural region during the current Rabi season.
 
Farmers have started farming early varieties of onion after harvesting short 
duration Aman rice in all four districts of Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira and 
Narail in the region. And harvest begun last November which will also 
continue and earn good profits.

"The DAE has set the record onion production target considering the growing 
demand and high prices to meet local demand of the essential commodity," 
Additional Director of the DAE for Khulna Agro region Md Rafiqul Islam told 
BSS today.

In the last 2024-2025 Rabi season, farmers produced over 17,000 tonnes of 
onions by cultivating the spicy crop on 1,780 hectares of land in the region.
 
"In the current 2025-2026 Rabi season, farmers will produce 18,878 tonnes of 
onion, which is over 1,800 tonnes more than the previous 2024-2025 Rabi 
season," said Rafiqul Islam.
 
The DAE, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh 
Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), are providing quality seeds, 
training and technologies to farmers for enhancing onion production.

According to market sources, the price of locally produced onions in the 
local market is now between Taka 120 and 125 per kilogram (Kg), although a 
week ago its price in the region was between Taka 80 and 90.

Besides, commercial banks are disbursing easy-term agriculture loans among 
farmers to make the intensive onion and other winter crops' farming programme 
a success in the region.
 
"Farmers will continue sowing the variety of onion seeds till this December 
while transplantation of onion seedlings will end by the mid-February next," 
Rafiqul added.

Being inspired by officials of the DAE and other related organisations, 
farmers are showing more interest in farming onions by directly sowing its 
seeds, transplanting seedlings and varieties of onion in Khulna region.

Hundreds of people living in saline prone coastal areas and small and 
marginal farmers are receiving high-quality onion seeds and fertilizers as 
government incentives to cultivate onions in both the mainland and coastal 
areas to increase production.

"The special steps taken by the government to encourage farmers to cultivate 
both winter and summer varieties of onions which are contributing to 
increasing the production of the spicy crop every year," Rafiqul Islam said.

Talking to BSS, farmers Hasan Ali, Hamid Sheikh and Hafizur Rahman from 
Dumuria and Fultala upazilas of Khulna said that after harvesting the early 
variety Aman paddy, they have already sown onion seeds in their land.
 
The DAE also set a target to produce an average 10.42 tonnes of onions per 
hectare of land in the region while a total of 532 hectares of lands were 
cultivated till Saturday (yesterday) out of 1,811 hectares.