Around 9,200 onion farmers in Rajbari and Faridpur are suffering after onion seeds that they received from the government failed to germinate. As a result, onion farmers are anticipating that onion production will fall across these two districts, which are known for being the top producers of onion in the country.

According to sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Faridpur, a total of 5,200 farmers received onion seeds of the Taherpuri, Bari-4 and Bari-6 varieties as government incentives this year, along with 20kg of fertiliser per farmer. Out of 5,200kg of onion seeds, 4,000kg of Taherpuri variety and 1200kg of Bari variety have been distributed.

On the other hand, according to sources of DAE in Rajbari, a total of 4,000 farmers got Taherpuri, Bari-1 and Bari-4 varieties under the same project.

Speaking to farmers, this correspondent learned that not even five percent of these seeds germinated.

Sanjit Mondal, an onion grower of  Bastputi village under Nagarkanda upazila in  Faridpur, said the government gave him only one kg of Bari-4 variety seeds. He then sowed these seeds on 45 decimals of land, but most of the seeds did not germinate.

Ahsan Molla, a farmer of Kagdi village under Saltha upazila, said he received only one kg of Taherpuri variety seeds as a government incentive. To cultivate onions on 105 decimals of land, he also purchased an additional one kg of seeds from the market. But the seeds received from the government did not germinate. However, the seeds purchased from the market are germinating well.

Nazrul Mia, a farmer from Kaichail village in Nagarkanda upazila, along with Muktar Hossain, a farmer of Madhupur village under Balikandi upazila in Rajbari, echoed Ahsan and Sanjit. 

Rafiqul Islam, sub-assistant agriculture officer in Baliakandi upazila, said, "Onion seeds were provided by Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC). Under this incentive scheme, BADC procured onion seeds from their own farmers and other sources. However, the seeds are distributed through sub-assistant agriculture officers from the sub-district agriculture offices under the Directorate of Agricultural Extension. But most of the seeds did not germinate."

Tilok Kumar Ghosh, sub-assistant agriculture officer in Nagarkanda upazila, said their work was only to distribute. BADC (seed marketing) officers are responsible for seed testing.

"We have come to learn that out of the seeds distributed by the government, only 10 percent germinated."

Syed Kamrul Haque, deputy director of BADC (seed marketing) in Faridpur, said, "We collect these seeds through our designated farmers. A farmer is given one kg of seeds as an incentive. This is insufficient for them. Farmers buy seeds from the market and sow them. Farmers bought seeds from the market on their own initiative and sowed them in the lands where seedlings did not germinate."

Md Shahaduzzaman, deputy director of DAE in Faridpur, said that in this regard, a meeting was held at Faridpur deputy commissioner's office on November 27. In that meeting, a four-member inquiry committee was formed to investigate the matter. The committee will report next Thursday.

Apart from identifying the culprits, recommendations will be made on how to compensate the affected farmers, he added.