Onion farmers are grappling with increased financial setbacks this season due to a steep decline in market prices and crop damage caused by rain, despite a notable surge in production.
Farmers in prominent onion-producing districts such as Pabna, Faridpur, and Rajbari have reported a production spike of approximately 30 percent compared to the previous year.
Nevertheless, the market rates have plummeted by a significant margin of Tk 300-500 per maund (equivalent to about 40 kg), resulting in many farmers failing to cover their production expenses.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) disclosed that onion cultivation encompassed 226,000 hectares in the 2025-26 fiscal year, a rise from the 201,000 hectares cultivated in the preceding year.
In Pabna, a major onion production hub, farmers revealed that prices have hit a multi-year low.
Md Kamruzzaman, a farmer from Durgapur village in Sujanagar upazila, noted that onion prices have slid from Tk 1,500-1,700 per maund last year to just Tk 700-800 currently.
Kamruzzaman, who cultivated over 50 bighas this season, expressed concerns over the escalating production costs, particularly on leased land where expenses soared beyond Tk 80,000 due to inflated fees.
Md Montu Miah from Ulat village highlighted that although favorable weather initially led to a robust yield of around 80 maunds per bigha, early rains led to crop damage and diminished quality.
At the Pushpopara wholesale market in Pabna Sadar upazila, an excessive oversupply situation was observed, outstripping demand levels.
Farmers like Md Samsul Alam faced challenges as traders were reluctant to offer more than Tk 600 per maund for their produce.
Wholesaler Md Rabiul Islam pointed out that an influx of over 100 tonnes of lower-quality onions hit the market against a demand of approximately 30 tonnes, further driving down prices.
Similar distress was echoed by farmers in Rajbari and Faridpur, underscoring the prevailing adverse conditions.
Officials attribute the price downturn to oversupply, with current market rates ranging from Tk 800-1,000 per maund, significantly below last year’s figures.
Shahadat Hossain, a senior market officer, advised prompt marketing of produce in hopes of a potential price recovery in the near future.
Notably, Shahidul Islam and Shahaduzzaman, officials from DAE in Rajbari and Faridpur respectively, emphasized the importance of swift harvesting and marketing to mitigate losses and capitalize on a possible price upturn.
Post-harvest losses, estimated at 25-30 percent annually, necessitate onion imports, with Bangladesh producing 30 lakh tonnes of onions in the fiscal year 2024-25 and importing 7.71 lakh tonnes to meet demand.