Onion imports to be allowed this season: commerce adviser

Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin has announced that permission will be granted to import onions in order to reduce prices in the local market.

He shared the information at a press conference held at the secretariat in Dhaka today.

Within the span of a week, the retail price of onions in the market has increased by Tk 20 to Tk 25 per kilogramme.

Currently, local onions are being sold at retail for Tk 75 to Tk 90 per kg, depending on the variety.

The adviser said onions will be imported based on demand and supply, and businesses will be allowed to bring in the bulb not only from India but from any country they want.

"We will import onions from wherever we can get them at a lower price. We will import only as much as is necessary to bring prices down. There is no specific country fixed for this," he said.

However, the dates and quantities of the imports have not yet been announced.

Onion prices increased at the production level as a significant amount held by farmers was spoiled due to improper storage.

During the same period last year, the price of the vegetable was even higher, Tk 110 to Tk 120 per kg, according to data from the state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.

Although over 39 lakh tonnes of onions will be produced this season, the country would need to import another 6-7 lakh tonnes to cover post-harvest losses, according to estimates from the Department of Agricultural Extension.