Onion price has started coming down following various steps taken by the government, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Tuesday said.
“The government has taken to import onions from Egypt, Turkey, and China via air cargo as per prime minister’s directives. A cargo aircraft of Saudi Airlines carrying the first consignment of onion from Egypt is expected to land Dhaka early Wednesday,” he told reporters at a press conference at his office.
He said the government is importing 62,000 metric tons of onion by air and sea to meet the country demand. “Out of 50,000 metric tons, some 12,000 metric tons of onion will be imported by ship. Besides, the onion will continue coming Dhaka by passenger and cargo air every day,” the commerce minister said.
Tipu Munshi said these imported onion will be sold at fair prices through state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) across the country. “On the other hand, as the local variety of onion has also started arriving in kitchen market across the country, its price is coming down gradually,” he said.
On Tuesday the onion price witnessed a ‘big drop’ of Taka 60-70, per kg, from the earlier level of Taka 240, at the wholesale markets while the retail price was found unchanged at city’s kitchen markets. The wholesale price of the local variety onion now stands at Taka 160-170, per kg, reduced from the earlier level of Taka 200-220 and the imported Myanmar variety is selling at Taka 140-150, per kg from the earlier price of Taka 180-200 at the wholesale market in the city.
The commerce minister said, from the very beginning the government continuously trying to import onion through different importers of the country. Following Indian ban in onion export, Myanmar also increased its onion price. Then the government moved to import onion from Egypt and Turkey. As the waterways took huge time to import, now the onions are being imported through airways.
“In each day the country required 6,000 tones of onion. Country’s stock and imported onion will enough to meet the demand while locally produce onion will start arriving in the market within few days”, said the minister. Tipu Mushi said, each year the country needs to import 10 lakh tones of onion. Majority of the amount is imported from India, he continued as saying, “To overcome the import dependency, now the government is eyeing to be self-sufficient by its own production. For this the government will inspire and provide subsidy to the farmers”.
Apart of this, special initiatives also taken to store onion for whole year. To protect local farmers interest, during local onion harvest, the government will control onion import. The government is committed to ensure fair price for onion farmers, the minister further added. Meanwhile, per unit price of both imported and local onion has reduced by Taka 40-50 from the earlier level of Taka 200-220 at the wholesale market at Shyambazar in the city.
Moreover, local variety onion has already hit the market in different districts. The activities of TCB have been strengthened to tackle the adverse situation. But the retail price of per kg onion was found still being sold between Taka 160 and Tk 200 at the retail market in the city. On the other hand, legal steps have been taken against over 2,500 dishonest traders for manipulating onion market, according to the statement.