Onions from Bahuni taken to town for sale

By Sher Bahadur Sarki,Bajura, Nov. 10: Farmers of Swamikartik Bahuni, located in the north-eastern part of Bajura district, have started taking their onions to town for sale.

The onions, harvested as early as May and June, had been stored in godowns in Peelichaur for nearly six months after failing to find a market. 

Around 35 households in Bahuni produced the onions, but they remained unsold for months. Now, as the onions have started sprouting, farmers are transporting them to town for sale, farmer Bir Bhan BK said.

“We Dalit families have been growing onions commercially in recent years. It is our main source of income. But as we could not sell them on time, we are facing a lot of problems,” BK said.

This year, about 35 Dalit families in Bahuni produced around 110 quintals of onions, all organically grown using cow dung and compost. However, without proper markets or fair prices, the onions are now going to waste.

BK said he had purchased onions from nearby farmers at Rs. 35 per kg and spent another Rs. 45 per kg to transport them from Bahuni to Peelichaur. “Even though I tried to sell them earlier, there was no market. Now that the onions are drying up, I am taking them to towns like Surkhet and Nepalgunj to sell, even at a lower price,” he added.

According to him, of the 110 quintals of onions stored in May and June, only 80 quintals remain due to drying.

Local farmers usually plant onion seedlings in October and transplant them in December, harvesting them around June, a process that takes about 10 months. However, it often takes even longer to sell the produce, causing financial difficulties for farmers.

According to him, although an onion collection centre has been established in the village, it lacks proper cold storage, making it difficult to preserve the onions for long periods.

Farmers in Bahuni have converted wheat fields into onion pocket areas because the soil yields good results. Each year, around 400 to 500 quintals of onions are produced in the area, but they rarely fetch a good price.

Onions are grown in several local levels of Bajura, including Himali, Jagannath, Swamikartik Khapar, Budhinanda, Badimalika, Gaumul, Budhiganga, Triveni and Khaptad Chededaha. However, the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Bajura, said it does not have exact data on how many hectares are under onion cultivation or the total production.

According to Jasiram Sahani, chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, “Bahuni produces good-quality onions, and most locals there are engaged in onion farming. Since they are facing problems due to a lack of market, we are now providing transport subsidies to help them sell their produce.”

Bharat Bahadur Rokaya, chairperson of Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality, said, “The onions produced here are completely organic, but farmers are not getting good prices. We had encouraged them to store the onions for a while, and now we are helping them transport and sell them in towns through a subsidy scheme.”