Just one day after the government granted permission for onion imports, prices have dropped by 20 to 40 taka per kilogram. This has brought some relief to the market. Traders say that if imports continue and supplies of murikata onions increase, prices will fall even further.
According to information gathered on Sunday, onions in Dhaka were selling for 130 to 150 taka per kilogram. A day earlier, the price had been around 150 taka. However, prices were even lower in Dinajpur and Chattogram: around 100 taka in Dinajpur, and 100 to 120 taka in Chattogram’s Khatunganj. Just a day earlier, onions in both districts had been selling at 130 to 150 taka per kilogram at the retail level.
About a month ago, the onion market suddenly became unstable. Within four to five days, prices rose by around 40 taka, reaching 115 to 120 taka per kilogram. After the government decided to permit imports, prices began to fall gradually, dropping to 105–110 taka. But when the government withdrew that decision, prices jumped back to 150 taka. Finally, to stabilize the market, the government granted limited import permissions starting Sunday.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Agriculture announced that 50 import permits (IPs) would be issued each day. Each IP will allow the import of up to 30 tons of onions. Only those importers who applied for permits after August 1 may resubmit their applications. Each importer will be allowed to apply only once. This process will continue until further notice.
Imports Begin Through Hili Land Port
The Hakimpur (Dinajpur) correspondent reports that onion imports from India resumed on Sunday through the Hili land port after three months. At around 4:30 p.m., three trucks loaded with onions arrived at the port. With news of the imports, retail prices in the port area fell sharply by 30 to 35 taka per kilogram.
Importer Roni Enterprise brought in Nashik-variety onions from India. The company’s owner, Abdul Malek Babu, said the imported onions have not yet been put on sale; selling will begin once customs procedures are completed. In the evening, Hili Customs revenue officer A.R. Zaman Bandhan said the customs process had not yet started because traders had not applied for customs clearance and inspection.
Shahidul Islam, vice president of the Hili Land Port Import-Export Group, said that from August to November, he and more than a hundred port traders applied to the Ministry of Commerce for permission to import onions. But considering potential losses to farmers, the government did not allow imports, leading to market instability in recent days.
On Sunday evening, retail trader Mokarram Hossain said that onions which sold for 130 taka on Saturday were now selling for 100 taka. Murikata onions, which cost 110 taka, were now selling for 85 taka.
Prices Drop by 30–40 Taka in Khatunganj
The Chattogram bureau reports that in Khatunganj—one of the country’s largest wholesale commodity hubs—onion prices have fallen by 30 to 40 taka per kilogram. Onions that sold wholesale for 110–120 taka per kilogram a day earlier were selling for 80–90 taka on Sunday. The drop in wholesale prices has also affected the retail market: retail prices fell from 140–150 taka per kilogram to 100–120 taka on Sunday. Traders say onion supplies in Khatunganj have also increased compared to before.
Mohammad Idris, general secretary of the Hamidullah Market Traders’ Association—one of the major onion wholesale markets in Khatunganj—said that just the news of import permission caused prices to drop significantly within a day. Supply has also increased. Within a week, murikata onions will arrive in full swing, and prices will fall further.
