Onion prices halve in top producing district, frustrating farmers

Farmers are frustrated as onion prices in the wholesale markets of Sujanagar and Santhia in Pabna, one of the main onion-producing districts in the country, have come down to a half in a span of just five days.

The price of a maund of onions dropped to a range between Tk 1,600 and Tk 1,800 on Sunday, down from a previous range between Tk 3,000 to Tk 3,200, according to a local media report.

Local farmers and wholesale traders attributed the price drop to an increase in the market's supply.

They explained that some unscrupulous traders, who had stockpiled onions, have released them into the market to sell them at a higher price during Ramadan. Meanwhile, farmers have also started harvesting new onions and marketing them.

The wholesale onion market in Sujanagar sadar upazila sits every Sunday and Wednesday. Last Wednesday, onions were sold at a range of Tk 3,000 to Tk 3,200 per maund. Since that day, the price of onions has started to fall, with the cost dropping to a range of Tk 1,600 to Tk 1,800 per maund in this market.

Such drops in onion prices have created frustration among farmers of the two upazilas. Many farmers returned home without selling onions due to this. They fear loss if the price falls further.

Murad Uddin, a farmer in Khoyran village, said that last year, at this time, onion prices were good in the market—each maund of onions was sold at Tk 2,000 to 2,200.

However, this year, onion prices are lower than last year, he said.

When asked, Jamal Uddin, deputy director of District Agriculture Extension Department, said that onion prices have fallen due to a sudden rise in supply.

Despite the price fall, at the present price range of onions, farmers will not incur any loss, he opined.