Onion imports thru land ports mark sharp fall
Imports of Indian onions through land ports witnessed a drastic fall in the last seven days thanks to the increased supply of the local variety.
Markets in most districts are now flooded with local onions and the consumers also prefer the local produce to the Indian ones because of better flavour.
Onion imports through different channels, including the Hili land port of Hakimpur upazila in Dinajpur, Bhomra port in Satkhira and Sonamasjid port in Chapainawabganj, resumed after January 1 when the three-and-a-half-month ban imposed by India came to an end.
Bangladesh has to import around 10 lakh tonnes of onions a year. At the same time, locally produced onions also hit markets across the country.
Onion imports through the Hili land port fell as traders are not purchasing as much as they used to before, said Harun Ur Rashid, president of the port's association of importers and exporters.
Most imported onions got stuck in stores, he said, adding that more consumers are now purchasing the local variety in a new trend.
In Dinajpur, the retail price of onion hovers around Tk 32 per kilogramme (kg) while every 5 kilogrammes are sold at Tk 130 at wholesale markets.
During a visit to three different markets in Dinajpur town on Sunday, This correspondent found two traders at Bahadurbazar selling Indian onions at Tk 30 per kg and the Egyptian variety at Tk 20 per kg.
However, not a single buyer for these onions was seen during a one-hour stay at the place.
No imported onion was seen at Railbazar haat but instead, it was also flooded with local onions.
Akhtar Hossain, a wholesaler, said he stopped purchasing Indian onions a week ago as consumers seem unwilling to use the imported ones.
"Almost 95 per cent of the consumers are now buying locally produced onion," he added.
The local variety bears similar price tags in most districts, including Rangpur, Joypurhat and Gaibandha.
In Rangpur, a kilogramme of local onion is available for Tk 35.
As a result, onion imports through land ports saw a sharp fall in the last week, said Sohrab Hossain, public relations officer of Hili-Panama Port Link, operator of the Hili land port.
Imports also witnessed a sharp decline at the Sonamasjid port in Chapainawabganj.
"Earlier, 80 trucks of Indian onion used to enter Bangladesh on average every day but only three trucks carrying 70 tonnes of onion came through the port last Thursday and Saturday," said Mainul Islam, manager of the port.
Arafat Hossain, president of the C&F Agents' Association of Bhomra port in Satkhira, told The Daily Star that on Sunday afternoon, just a single truck with Indian onions moved past the port in the last three days.
"Import declined largely in the last couple of days," he said.
In Barishal, onion prices are hovering between Tk 25 to Tk 28 per kg depending on their quality, said SM Hasan Sarwar, district marketing officer under the Department of Agricultural Extension in Barishal.
"No Indian onion is found in Barishal's market," he added.
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