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The prices of onions have risen sharply in the country over the past few days due to a supply crunch at the end of the season.

Visiting some markets in the capital and gathering information from across the country, it was found that onions were selling at Tk 100-120 per kilogram, a significant hike from Tk 70-80 just three to four days ago. 

The traders on Tuesday said that prices soared as the supply of onions declined at this time as it usually did, and that the high prices could persist for the next few months until the new season’s harvest arrives.

‘However, if the government allows imports, the prices might decline,’ said Babul Miah, a wholesale trader from Karwan Bazar.

Meanwhile, an official from the commerce ministry said that onion prices dropped up to 50 per cent in India, prompting businesses to import onions from India.

They intentionally hiked the onion prices, he added, saying that a large number of applications for import permits have been submitted.

The traders said the farmers haven’t had any onions left, creating a supply shortfall in the markets.

‘When the new harvest, including the murikata variant, arrives at the market in December, the price would come down,’ said Babul Miah.

Ashraful Hossain, another wholesale trader from Karwan Bazar, said that domestic production has met the country’s demand so far.

‘But now the supply is tight, and the government should allow imports at this time. Due to excessive rain, farmers lost a significant quantity of onions this year,’ he added.

The prices of onions also witnessed a hike in Khatunganj of Chattogram, country’s one of the largest wholesale markets.

Local onions were selling for Tk 72 to Tk 85 per kg last Wednesday and Thursday at Khatunganj, which shot up to Tk 100-110 per kg on Monday, and Tk 110-120 on Tuesday, according to ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·â€™s Chattogram correspondent.

Md Omar Faruk, a wholesale trader of Khatunganj, said that the onion was witnessing its tail-end season.

‘We don’t have any stock left. Whatever the traders bring in goes straight to the market. Prices are being set by them,’ he added.

He added that unless onions were imported from neighboring and other countries, prices were unlikely to drop before the new harvest in January.

Regarding the possibility of onion imports, Md Mahmudur Rahman, additional secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that a high-level government team was working on it.

‘They are monitoring and assessing the situation, along with finding out any involvement of the syndicate there,’ he added, saying that the government would take further initiatives based on their findings.

The price of onions was much higher at this time last year. But due to higher production, the price is comparatively lower this year, he added.

According to data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, the price of onions was Tk 150-160 in November of last year.

In the financial year 2024-25, the country was projected to produce about 38.1 lakh tonnes of onions against its demand of about 32 lakh tonnes, said the Department of Agricultural Extension data. 

Pabna, Faridpur, Khulna, Rajbari, and other districts are the country›s major onion-producing hubs.

Regarding supply shortage despite high production, a wholesale trader from Pabna, Jasim Uddin, said that due to adverse weather conditions, the farmers had to harvest onions earlier than usual.

Initially, the onions remain heavy due to wet husks and soil stuck to the onion body. But now the onions have become dry and clean, finally losing weight significantly,’ he added.

Moreover, due to untimely harvest, many onions spoiled later, and were still spoiling at the farmers› warehouses.

According to a senior official of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, around 30 to 35 per cent of the onions produced each year are lost due to various reasons, mainly due to rotting caused by inadequate storage. 

Moreover, storing onions in a cold storage facility is also costly for ordinary farmers, he added.

‘Even if the production exceeds the country’s total demands, spoilage leads to a shortfall of 400,000 to 600,000 tonnes, which has to be met through imports,’ he added.

However, he urged the government to ensure a fair year-round price for farmers before imports are introduced, to encourage them to produce more.