Dhaka, March 04 – The Agriculture Ministry wants to stop importing onion from abroad during full onion harvesting season to ensure a fair price for the marginal farmers in the country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the ministries concerned and other stakeholders for taking a decision on this issue through dialogue while placing the proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture at the last cabinet meeting.
Agriculture minister MA Razzaque said this while talking to reporters after a meeting with a six-member US delegation led by Christopher Wilson, assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia along with US ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Robert Miller at the secretariat yesterday.
The minister said that he requested the Prime Minister to stop importing onions from abroad during starting the onion harvest in order to ensure fair prices of onions to farmers.
The Indian government has imposed ban on exporting onions from September 29 last year due to shortage and price hike of onion. After five-month of banning, the Indian government has announced to lift the ban on onion exports on February 26.
After India’s ban on exports, there was instability in Bangladesh’s onion market and onions were sold at Tk 280-300 per kg.
When asked regarding the condition of onion, MA Razzaque said, “we are hoping that the production of onion will be satisfactory this year. We are very optimistic as many areas are being cultivated onions. A high yielding new variety of onion has been developed and if these varieties are cultivated in the country there will be no onion problem in Bangladesh inshallah. Production of new varieties of onions will be almost double compare to old varieties. The production capacity of new varieties of onions would be 18-19 tonnes per hectare, while 10-11 tonnes in old varieties.”
The prices of onions will go down within the next two weeks after arrival of new onions in the markets, the agriculture minister said.
Hailstorm has damaged some onions in Faridpur areas, the minister said, adding that it is unimaginable hailstorm in the month of Falgun.
He also observed that such an unexpected pattern of weather because of climate change.
“We have discussed regarding onions in the last cabinet meeting. The commerce minister had placed the matter before the Prime Minister. We informed the cabinet that the areas of onion cultivation have increased this year,” Razzaque said.
The minister hoped that there will be no onion problem in the days to come.
“I requested the Prime Minister to stop importing onions from abroad during starting the onion harvest. Indian onions cannot be flooded at that time, which would affect Bangladesh’s farmers. So, we want to ensure fair price of onions for farmers so that they would feel encourage to expand onion cultivation further,” Dr Razzaque said in reply to a query.
The commerce ministry is very much aware and cautious in this regard, he added.
When asked what was PM’s reaction regarding the proposal for stopping the import of onion during full harvesting season, the agriculture minister replied, “PM suggested to discuss with the finance ministry and other related ministries and departments. She also suggested handling the issue very carefully. We will, of course, have to consider the farmer’s interest. Harvest of onions will be started in the third week of this (March) month.”
Regarding meeting with the US delegates, the agriculture minister said, Bangladesh imported cotton from the USA and they want to complete fumigation from their end only.
“A harmful insect cotton ball is in cotton. So, Bangladesh fumigates imported cotton at Chattogram as per the law of the lands. But, the US authority requested Bangladesh government to avoid double fumigation as the product fumigated in the USA before export to Bangladesh,” Dr Razzaque said.
He, however, said Bangladesh didn’t agree on the US proposal as it is needed to change the law. A Bangladesh team will visit the USA during the next cotton season to see the fumigation process physically, he added.
The minister said, Bangladesh also sought technical assistance from the US government to mechanization Bangladesh’s agriculture.
Bangladesh already has become self-sufficient in granular food production, the agriculture minister said, adding that “we want to make the agriculture a commercial sector.” – Staff Reporter
