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Onion prices declined by Tk 5–7 at the wholesale level at different markets of the capital following the resumption of imports.

On Sunday, onion imports from India through the Bhomra land port in Satkhira district resumed after a five-month suspension.

As of Monday evening, around 450 tonnes of Indian onions entered the country through Bhomra land port, according to the Bhomra Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association.

Abu Hasan, president of the association, told the ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that after a five-month suspension, onion imports have resumed through the port.

‘If imports continue, the rising prices of onions in the Bangladeshi market are expected to decline,’ he added.

The last onion imports into Bangladesh through the Bhomra land port took place on March 27.

With the resumption of imports, the prices of onions at the wholesale level stood at Tk 62-70 per kg at Karwan Bazar.

Khalilur Rahman, a wholesale trader, stated that the prices of onions in the wholesale market have dropped by Tk 5-7 per kilogram.

‘However, as the possible amount of import would differ far from actual demand, the prices would be Tk 65-70 at wholesale level and Tk 75-80 at retail level even after import,’ he added.

Last week, the prices of onions experienced a sudden increase to Tk 80-85 at the retail level on kitchen markets across the capital.

The retail price was about Tk 60-65 two weeks ago, indicating that the spice item witnessed a sharp increase of about Tk 20-25 per kilogram.

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.

‘Our main objective is to increase onion supply and reduce its prices. For this, onion will be imported from the countries where its prices are lower,’ he added.

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, stated that the wholesale prices had dropped to Tk 2,500-2,800 per maund, compared with Tk 2,800-3,000 before the resumption of imports.

However, he said that there are few chances of reducing onion prices before the new harvesting season.

‘Due to adverse weather conditions during the harvesting season and excessive rainfall throughout the months, a large number of onions spoiled,’ he added, saying that the peak season of onions has almost ended, which also created a supply shortage.

Moreover, the pause in imports from India also accelerated the price hike, as onion prices typically hike at the end of the rainy season every year.

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. 

Pabna, Faridpur, Khulna, and some other districts are the central hub of onion production in the country.