Although onion imports from India have resumed, retail prices have not seen any significant decrease, even as wholesale prices have dropped slightly.
According to market sources in Shyambazar and Karwan Bazar in Dhaka, and Khatunganj in Chattogram, onions were being sold at Tk 65-70 per kilogram at the wholesale level, which was Tk 2-3 lower than the past week.
However, this slight reduction has not impacted retail prices as onions were sold at Tk 80-85 per kilogram on Thursday at the local kitchen markets in the capital.
Wholesale traders said that high domestic demand, limited import quantities, and significant wastage of locally produced onions during harvesting were preventing retail prices from falling.
They warned that prices are unlikely to decrease until new supplies arrive in the markets.
As of Wednesday, about 2,280 tonnes of onions have entered Bangladesh through the Bhomra land port of Satkhira since Sunday.
However, on Thursday, the import of onions聽halted.
Abu Hasan, president of the Bhomra Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association, said that after a five-month suspension, onion imports have resumed through the port.
鈥業f imports continue, the rising prices of onions in the Bangladeshi market are expected to decline,鈥� he added.
The last onion imports into Bangladesh through the Bhomra land port took place on March 27.
Md Selim, a wholesale trader of Karwan Bazar, said that the prices of onions at the wholesale level were Tk 65-67 at Shyambazar and Tk 67-70 at Karwan Bazar.
鈥楾he import is halted and very low compared to the demand. For this reason, there was no impact on retail level,鈥� he added.
The prices of onions were almost similar, Tk 67-70, at Khatunganj of Chattogram, the country鈥檚 one of the biggest wholesale markets.
Mohammad Jasim Uddin, proprietor of Bismillah Trading, said that around seven to eight trucks loaded with Indian onions have entered Khatunganj since Wednesday.
鈥楾hese onions were imported under previously issued import permits (IP). As a result, market supply is increasing, which is having an effect on wholesale prices,鈥� he added.
He also stated that additional consignments of onions were being imported. Once those enter the market, the onion supply situation is expected to become more stable.
He mentioned that there has been no significant import of onions from the international market over the past few months.
鈥楢s a result, the domestic market has been reliant mainly on locally produced onions. However, the yearly demand for onions cannot be fulfilled by domestic production alone. That is why, towards the end of the season, some shortage has become apparent in the market,鈥� he added. He said that new onion cultivation would begin within the next two months; until then, the market might remain unstable.
Earlier, on August 14, commerce adviser Sk Bashir Uddin told reporters that the government has decided to allow the import of onions from any country to increase its supply and ease the market price across the country.
Wholesale traders at Karwan Bazar said that the price of onions is higher even in producing regions like Pabna, Faridpur, Rajbari, and Khulna due to supply shortages, import halts, the rotting of nearly 20-30 per cent of post-harvested onions, and excessive rainfall throughout the past months.
Kalam Sheikh, proprietor of Matri Bhandar, a wholesale onion trader at Karwan Bazar, said that there are few chances of reducing onion prices before the new harvesting season.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, the annual target for onion production was 38.21 lakh tonnes in the financial year 2024-25. The country has a yearly demand for approximately 32 lakh tonnes of onions.
However, around 30 to 35 per cent of the onions produced each year are lost due to rotting and lack of cold storage facilities, which creates a shortfall of around 400,000 to 600,000 tonnes annually.聽
Pabna, Faridpur, Khulna, and some other districts are the central hub of onion production in the country.
