High yield, low price: onion farmers count losses

Jashore farmer Moktar Hossain dreams big but owns no land of his own. He leases others’ land to support his household, which includes his wife, mother, and two children. To bring some financial stability to his five-member family, he cultivated onions on two bighas of land. From germination to maturity, the green fields of crops brought him joy. Seeing the expected yield, he built hopes of profit. But after harvesting, those hopes turned into tears. Unable to get a fair price, he now faces financial ruin.

This season, the farmer from Falia village of Shailkupa harvested 200 maunds of onions. His production cost—including seeds, fertilizer, labor, and irrigation—stood at Tk 120,000. The ‘Sukha Sagar’ variety yielded a bumper harvest of around 100 maunds per bigha. However, selling at Tk 500 per maund, he is losing at least Tk 50,000, Moktar said.

Two farmers harvesting onions from a field. Photo: Agamir Somoy

When asked about the market situation, Moktar and several other farmers turned silent and disheartened. They said Jhenaidah is one of the country’s major onion-producing districts, yet farmers rarely make a profit despite high yields every year. They invest heavily in cultivation but still incur losses. Meanwhile, middlemen sell the same produce at nearly double the price a few months later. They added that the absence of government storage facilities in the district has led to this recurring situation.

This year, onions were cultivated on 13,464 hectares of land in Jhenaidah. The Department of Agricultural Extension said production exceeded the target of 235,000 tons, reaching 263,000 tons.

Like Moktar, hundreds of farmers across Shailkupa and other upazilas in the district have achieved bumper yields, but market prices remain low. Since raw onions cannot be stored for long, many small and medium farmers are losing interest in cultivation.

Farmers are transporting onions. Photo: Agamir Somoy

Farmer Rabiul Islam from Bhatai village said onion cultivation costs Tk 50,000–60,000 per bigha. To recover expenses, the price must reach Tk 1,500 per maund. However, farmers are leaving the market disappointed due to low prices.

Businessmen and wholesalers Masuduzzaman Liton and Imran Hossain described the situation as unavoidable. They said hundreds of farmers cultivate onions in the district, leading to a large supply hitting the market at once. Supply exceeds demand, pushing prices down. They added that if they buy at higher prices, traders will also incur losses.

Onion farmers struggle amid falling market prices. Photo: Agamir Somoy

Deputy Director of the District Department of Agricultural Extension, Md. Anisuzzaman, urged increased government incentives. He said Jhenaidah has again seen bumper onion production this year, but prices remain low due to oversupply. He added that the absence of storage facilities is a major problem, and establishing such facilities would benefit small and medium farmers.

Despite low prices, small and medium farmers are forced to sell their onions to recover costs. District Commissioner Noman Hossain assured that storage facilities will be considered, keeping farmers’ concerns in mind.