Bangladesh is one of the largest onion-producing countries in the world. Surprisingly, Bangladesh is now the top importer of onion in the world. For the last 5 years, the country has had to import 5 lakh to 7 lakh metric tons of onions annually. Even then the government is not able to control the product. The retail price of onion in consuming market is increasing day by day after Eid.
It is known that the market was over-supplied and under-demanded. Still, the wholesale price of “Desi Hali” onion fluctuates between Tk55 and Tk58 at Kawran Bazar. In the neighborhood shops, the price has already gone up by Tk 60-70. If those onions are from Pabna, the price is higher. But the full onion season has just started.
Allegations have been made that attempts are being made to destabilize the onion market again by creating an artificial crisis. This scam is going on from Shyambazar, the biggest onion market in the capital. Consumers and the concerned complained that the onion market is becoming unstable again and again even in this busy season due to weak marketing management and lack of effective monitoring. And because the officials of the consumer department are not in the field during the Eid holiday, proper monitoring is not being done.
Retail traders said that they have to buy onions at the wholesale level at the rate of Tk 60 per kg. So at the retail level, they are selling at Tk70. Moreover, enough local onions are not available in the market. Traders are claiming that unscrupulous gangs are taking advantage of India's export ban. Big traders are buying all the onions from the farmers in the quarter and storing them. They will control the price in the future. If the irregularities are not stopped now, the price of onion will increase further.
According to the concerned, 25 to 30 percent of onions produced in the country, known as perishable products, get damaged due to various reasons including lack of proper care and storage. As a result, despite the increased production, the deficit remains. Large quantities of onion have to be imported every year to meet the shortage. If there is a little problem in the import situation, the onion market becomes unstable.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Bangladesh is the world's third-largest producer of onions after China and India. The production target for the current financial year is 36 lakh metric tons. And the demand in the country is 28 to 3 million metric tons. According to the government, the production is more than the demand by at least 4 lakh to 6 lakh metric tons. Meanwhile, the product has retained the top position in imports. More than 7 lakh metric tons of onions have been imported from India alone in the current financial year.
When asked why onion prices are increasing after Eid, a businessman from Kawran Bazar, who did not want to be named, said that new onions have started growing even before Eid. But after Eid, the price of onion is increasing instead of decreasing. He said that the sudden increase in the price of onion should be investigated.
Md Salim Mollik of Karwan Bazar’s Minhaj Banijjaloy in capital said that onions are being sold at Tk 54 per kg at the warehouse level. After Eid, the price is slightly higher as there are not enough onions.
Meanwhile, buyers said that the price of onion has increased up to Tk 20 per kg within a week. At present onion is selling at Tk60 to Tk70. Attempts are being made to destabilize the onion market again by creating an artificial crisis which is being made by the syndicate and it is unknown to our entire citizen. This kind of black markets made suffer our people who live from hand to mouth or doing the low salary job.
ZH
