Chandpur Correspondent:

Cultivation of onion and garlic has got under way in full swing marking enormous exuberance among the farmers in eight upazilas of Chandpur district this season.

Sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Chandpur, said the two essential spices have been cultivated on 730 hectares of land in the district in the current season with a production target of 1,000 tonnes and aiming to cut dependency on their imports.

Last year, total yield of onion and garlic in the entire district was 8,884 tonnes and this year the target to produce these two items has been increased by 1,116 tonnes to reduce independency on their imports.

Chandpur DAE official Mobarak Hossain said, “Farmers are now awfully busy sowing seeds of onion and garlic in their fields. Harvesting of the crops is likely to begin by March or early April.”

If the weather condition remains favorable and proper care is taken in the fields after sowing seeds, farmers will get a plentiful yield of onion and garlic in the district like the previous years, the official added.

He also said, “Expected production will not only help prices of the two items rise in the local markets but also will ease the foreign currency pressure the government has to face in meeting the import demand of the two essential items.”

Data shows Haimchar and Chandpur Sadar have retained the reputation of being the two major onion and garlic producing upazilas in the district for a long time.

Besides, a large number of farmers cultivate these two items at their own initiatives in the remote char and riverbank areas like Hanarchar, Ibrahimpur, Char Fatehjong, Jahajmara and Raj Rajeswar and other char areas in Chandpur Sadar; Ishanbala, Char Bhoirovi, Majherchar, Baburchar in Haimchar Upazila and Mohonpur, Baherchar, Ekhlaspur and some adjacent areas in Matlab Uttar upazila.

These farmers are making a substantial income from producing these crops and thus making remarkable contribution to the socio-economic development of the areas, observed Advocate Sharif Shahin and Abu Sayem, both social workers.

In Haimchar upazila, a target has been set to bring 284 hectares of land into onion cultivation and the targeted yield is about 2,556 tonnes. The land target for cultivating garlic in the upazila is 170 hectares while the expected yield is about 1,430 tonnes.

In Chandpur Sadar, a target has been fixed to bring a total of 165 hectares of land into onion cultivation and the yield is expected to be about 1,485 tonnes while 75 hectares of land have been set for garlic cultivation and the expected yield is about 631 tonnes.

In Matlab Uttar, onion’s cultivation target has been set at 95 hectares and the expected yield is about 855 tonnes. Garlic’s cultivation target in the upazila is 45 hectares and the expected yield is about 378 tonnes.

In Hajiganj upazila, onion is being cultivated on 73 hectares while the total yield is expected be about 657 tonnes. Garlic is being cultivated on 35 hectares while the targeted yield is about 294 tonnes.

In Faridganj upazila, a target has been fixed to bring 58 hectares of land under onion cultivation and the yield is expected be about 522 tonnes. Garlic is being cultivated on 20 hectares in the upazila while the yield is expected to be about 168 tonnes.

In Matlab Dakhshin, onion is being cultivated on 40 hectares and the yield is expected to be about 360 tonnes while garlic is being cultivated on 15 hectares and the yield is expected to be about 126 tonnes.

In Kachua and Shahrasti upazilas, onion is being cultivated on 15 hectares and the yield is expected to be about 135 tonnes. Garlic cultivation target is set at 30 hectares in these two upazilas and the yield is expected to be about 252 tonnes.

Chandpur DAE Deputy Director Mohammad Abu Taher said,” The farmers are now busy preparing and taking care of fields and sowing seeds of onion and garlic.”

During a recent visit, it was found that farmers of the riverside and char areas in Chandpur Sadar, Haimchar and Matlab Uttar upazilas are growing onion and garlic in plenty at their own initiative.

Farmers Bablu Gazi , Kabir Gazi of Kumardughi village, Hanif Patwary of Mandari village and Jahurul Huque of Char Krishnapur village and Billal Hossain Master of Hapania village said this season they are likely to see a bumper yield of onion and garlic. Till now the weather condition is fairly good.