Agriculture Minister Mohammed Abdus Shahid highlighted the paradox of onion surplus production versus the necessity for imports in Bangladesh, attributing the situation to inadequate storage facilities.
Despite an annual production of approximately 3.5 million tons, surpassing domestic demand, the highly perishable nature of onions and storage shortfall necessitate imports to meet demand. In efforts to address this, a storage and processing center, established with the support of the Netherlands government in Bharadoba, Bhaluka subdistrict, has commenced operations. This facility, a collaborative effort with Agro Processing Netherlands, boasts a capacity of 400 tons.
Shahid noted the government's commitment to achieving onion self-sufficiency, highlighting a production increase of one million tonnes over the past two years and surpassing existing demand. Efforts to support farmers include the provision of free and subsidized seeds along with fertilizers, aiming to enhance production and reduce post-harvest losses, which currently stand at 20-30%. The minister commended the Netherlands government's initiative, emphasizing its benefits for both producers and consumers in Bangladesh, and encouraged private investment from both nations in further storage solutions.
Source: bssnews.net