Faridpur farmers leave onions to rot in fields amid price slump
Farmers count losses as market rates fall below production cost; some abandon harvest altogether
Onion farmers in Faridpur are facing mounting losses as falling market prices force many to leave their crops unharvested in the fields.
In Boalmari upazila's Kumrul village under Rupapat union, farmer Abul Kalam Azad said he has decided not to harvest onions grown on his 18-decimal land due to unviable prices.
"I cultivated Rangila Seven variety onions on my land. From planting to fertilisers, pesticides and other costs, I spent around Tk40,000," he said. "Now, hiring labourers to harvest would cost Tk1,000 to Tk1,200 per worker, but the market price does not even cover that."
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He said good-quality onions are selling for a maximum of Tk1,000 per maund, while the Rangila Seven variety fetches only Tk300-400 per maund.
"It does not even cover labour costs. So I am not harvesting the crop," he added, noting that he has already started planting jute in the same field.
Local fertiliser and pesticide trader Ahad Molla from Surjog Bazar said farmers are incurring losses as production costs exceed market returns. "It costs around Tk1,100 to Tk1,200 to produce one maund of onions, but the maximum selling price is about Tk1,000. Farmers are facing losses this season," he said.
He added that the Rangila Seven variety has particularly low demand, with buyers reluctant to purchase it even at reduced prices. "In many cases, the sale proceeds do not even cover harvesting costs," he noted.
Faridpur Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, agriculturist Md Shahaduzzaman, said onion cultivation has exceeded targets this season, leading to oversupply in the market.
"More than 41,000 hectares of land have been used for onion cultivation in the district, which is significantly higher than last year. As supply has surpassed demand, prices have dropped," he said.
He advised farmers to store onions and sell them later when prices improve, if possible.
Affected farmers have urged the government to take necessary measures to address the situation and prevent further losses.
