Agriculture Minister Md Abdur Razzaque has said a decision on onion imports will be taken within two to three days after monitoring the market situation.
"I know that all middle- and low-income people are suffering. The price of onions should not be Tk80 per kg. At the policy level, we are putting emphasis on the interests of our local farmers,” the minister said while talking to reporters at his Secretariat office on Sunday.
"We have discussed it at the highest level of policymaking. We are monitoring the market very closely. Insha Allah, you will get a decision on whether we will import onions in 2-3 days," he said.
Last week, Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akhter said the government is considering importing onions due to the hike in onion prices in the market.
Due to government intervention, onion production in the country has increased by more than one million ton in the last two years, according to the DAE (Department of Agricultural Extension).
This year alone, more than 3.4 million tons of onions have been produced in the country. Meanwhile, the demand for onions in the country is 2.6-2.8 million tons per year.
However, due to a lack of a proper storage system or an adverse environment, 30-35% of locally produced onions are wasted.
