Faridpur farmers in distress as onion prices plummet

On Sunday morning, onions were selling for just Tk 1,500 to Tk 1,700 per maund, depending on the variety, at the bustling Ttenthenia market in Saltha upazila. 

Similar price levels were observed in other markets in Faridpur town and nearby areas.

Farmers say they could only break even if prices reached Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,200 per maund. 

With prices falling short, many are unable to recover even their basic production costs.

Every market day, starting before dawn, farmers from surrounding villages arrive at Ttenthenia—some hauling sacks of onions on their shoulders, others using vans, three-wheelers, or autos—to sell their produce. Alongside local traders, wholesalers from across the country frequent the market.

The Ttenthenia market hosts over 200 wholesale traders who collectively buy between 250 and 300 tonnes of onions each market day. 

The produce is then distributed to divisional and district-level markets across Bangladesh.

“At least Tk 1 crore worth of onions are sold in every haat,” said Shahidul Islam Sohan, Chairman of Atghar Union in Saltha. 

“Buyers from Dhaka, Chattogram, Barishal and other cities come here, thanks to our strong transport connectivity,” he said.

Despite the bumper harvest, farmers are reeling from rising input costs that haven't been matched by corresponding increases in market prices.

Local farmers like Nizam Uddin Sheikh, Alamgir Molla, Ibrahim Matubbor, and Nishar Uddin Khan shared that they had initially stored their onions, anticipating higher prices later in the season.

“But now the prices are barely enough to cover our costs,” said Nishar Uddin, lamenting that the delay in selling has also led to spoilage and quality degradation.

Shaheduzzaman, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Faridpur, noted that the district produces three key varieties of onions: winter-season 'Murikata', 'Hali', and 'Dana'. “Of these, ‘Hali’ onions make up the largest share. This season, onions were cultivated on 38,000 hectares of land in Faridpur, and the yield has been robust,” he said.

Traders believe the recent price drop is largely due to a post-Eid surge in supply, overwhelming the market and pushing rates down.

Despite being one of the largest onion trading centers in Faridpur, Ttenthenia’s current market dynamics have left local farmers disheartened, as their hard-earned harvests yield more disappointment than dividends, reports UNB.