Koshi farmers earn from onion seedlings

By Jayakrishna Yadav,Inaruwa, Jan. 9: For farmers displaced by the devastating Koshi floods about 15 years ago, onion seedlings have now become a key source of income. 

In Shreepurjabdi of Koshi Rural Municipality-4 in Sunsari, where paddy and wheat grow poorly, onion seedlings thrive well and have offered a reliable livelihood to erosion-affected farmers.

According to Samim Ansari of Koshi-4, more than 100 farmers in the area are earning between Rs.100,000 and Rs. 300,000 by selling onion seedlings. 

He said farmers in erosion-prone areas have successfully grown seedlings on plots ranging from five dhurs to two kathas and sold them in local markets.

Ansari added that onion seedlings have been a steady source of income for farmers of Koshi-4 and 5 for the past few years, with small farmers earning up to Rs. 300,000 per season. 

As onion farming has expanded in Sunsari and neighbouring districts, demand for seedlings has increased, encouraging farmers to grow seedlings specifically for sale.

Another farmer, Rasid Miyan of Kumyahi, said income from selling onion seedlings has been good for the past five years. He said farmers living near the Koshi erosion zone are now growing seedlings on their own land and selling them.

This season, Miyan sowed 1.5 kg of onion seeds and is selling the seedlings at Rs. 50 per kg. He expects to earn around Rs. 200,000 this season. 

Last year, he earned Rs. 140,000 from seedling sales, and encouraged by the returns, his income has nearly doubled this year.

The seedlings produced in the area are sold in Inaruwa, Laukahi, Jhumka, Itahari and Duhabi in Sunsari, as well as in neighbouring districts, including Hanumannagar, Bharadaha and Rajbiraj in Saptari, and as far as Belbari in Morang.

With the number of onion farmers increasing, seedling sales have become an important source of income, Miyan said. 

Another farmer, Saburan Khatun, earned more than Rs. 110,000 this year by selling onion seedlings. She said the number of farmers buying seedlings daily is rising.