Decision to import onions considering farmer, consumer's interests: Razzaque

Agriculture Minister and Awami League (AL) Presidium Member Dr Md Abdur Razzaque has said the government will decide to import onions considering the interests of all, especially farmers and consumers, within a few days.

"The decision to import onions will be taken considering the interests of all including farmers and consumers within a few days," he said while inaugurating the "Domestic Model Onion and Garlic Storage House" at Purba Banoram under Santhia upazila in Pabna.

The minister added, "If onions can be preserved perfectly . . . The existing onions crisis will be removed and politics related to onions will be stopped subsequently."

Noting that the country produces more onions than the demand, but one-third of the production gets wasted which leads to a shortage, he said the existing onion prices are abnormal and various kinds of politics are started in this regard.

Razzaque said, "Onion is a very perishable crop. It's hard to keep up. Onions cannot be stored. It dries and rots. So, the farmers usually sell onions at low prices during the season. At the end of the season, the onion market is in the hands of importers, traders and syndicates."

Considering all these adverse situations, Razzaque said the authorities concerned launched this experimental onion storage room, where onions can be stored for 4-5 months.

"If it becomes successful, there will be no onion shortage in the country… It will not be necessary to import, rather it can be exported," he mentioned.

The minister said a letter has been sent to the power ministry to consider subsidising the electricity used in onion conservation model houses or the agriculture sector.

Deputy Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Advocate Md Shamsul Hoque Tuku, MP, Secretary of Agriculture Ministry Wahida Akhter, Director General (DG) of Agriculture Marketing Directorate Md Masud Karim, DG of Agriculture Extension Department Badal Chandra Biswas, DG of Rice Research Institute Shahjahan Kabir and DG of Atomic Agriculture Research Institute Mirza Mofazzal Islam, among others, were present on the occasion.