The government will provide 15,000 more air flow machines to farmers to strengthen onion storage capacity and reduce post-harvest losses, said Agriculture and Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid on Thursday.

"We have decided to enhance onion storage capacity to bring onion imports down to zero. At the same time, production will be increased with the goal of exporting onions in the future," he said.

He made the announcement while addressing a national workshop on the "Farmer-level Onion Storage Adaptation Project through Partnership to Mitigate the Adverse Impacts of Climate Change in Bangladesh's Onion Producing Areas" at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) auditorium in the capital's Farmgate.

Bangladesh produces more onions than its domestic demand, but inadequate storage facilities force the country to import large quantities every year, he said

Many Bangladeshis living abroad prefer locally produced onions, adding that Bangladesh's indigenous onion variety has unique qualities compared to those produced in many other countries, said the minister.

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.

The project, which began in May 2025 and will continue until April 2027, has a total allocation of Tk 11.77 crore.

It is being implemented in 107 upazilas across 16 districts, including Pabna, Faridpur, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Kushtia, Bogura and Rangpur.

Under the project, 3,700 environment-friendly air flow machines are being installed to reduce post-harvest onion losses, while 3,900 farmers are receiving technical training on improved storage practices.