Agriculture and Fisheries & Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid on Thursday announced that the government will distribute an additional 15,000 air flow machines to farmers to expand onion storage capacity across the country. 

He made the announcement while addressing a national workshop on the "Adaptation Project for Farmer-Level Onion Storage through Partnership to Mitigate the Adverse Impacts of Climate Change in Bangladesh's Onion-Producing Areas" as the chief guest.

The workshop was held at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) auditorium in Farmgate, Dhaka.

Amin said that although Bangladesh produces more onions than it consumes, inadequate storage facilities result in substantial post-harvest losses, forcing the country to import onions every year.

He said the government aims to eliminate onion imports by expanding storage capacity and, in the long run, increase production further to enable exports.

"Our country has around 10 million people living abroad, and they prefer Bangladeshi onions. Onions produced in many other countries are almost like vegetables, whereas our local onions represent the true flavour of onion," he said.

The adviser said improved storage facilities would reduce post-harvest losses, ensure a year-round domestic supply and eventually pave the way for onion exports.

The onion storage project is being implemented by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) under the Ministry of Agriculture with funding from the Climate Change Trust Fund.

Launched in May 2025, the project will continue until April 2027 with a total allocation of 117.75 million taka.

It is being implemented in 107 upazilas across 16 districts, including Pabna, Faridpur, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Kushtia, Magura, Jhenaidah, Manikganj, Natore, Naogaon, Meherpur, Chapainawabganj, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Rangpur and Bogura.

Under the project, 3,700 environmentally friendly air flow machines are being installed to reduce post-harvest onion losses, while 3,900 farmers are receiving technical training on improved onion storage practices. The initiative is expected to save a substantial volume of onions from spoilage each year and reduce the country's import bill.