Mohammed Badrul Ahsan :
Local growers may face hurdle in the next season due to influx of onion imported by Bangladeshi traders from neighbouring India at lower rate, farmers said.
They have also urged the government to impose restrictions on onion import till April next to protect them from the price debacle.
Onion prices remain much lower this year compared to that of last two years thanks to its bumper production in the country and huge imports at cheaper rate from India.
Visiting some wholesale and retail markets in the city, The New Nation (NN) found that onion (local) was selling at Tk 33-Tk 42 per kg while imported varieties were selling at Tk 18-Tk 31 per kg based on its quality.
According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), onion (local) sold at Tk 50-Tk 60 per kg and (imported) Tk 40-Tk 50 a kg in the corresponding period last year.
The newly-harvested seed onion started arriving in the market and those will have to compete with demandable old onion, said Anowarul Kibria, proprietor of B Baria Traders, a whole sell shop in the city’s kawran Bazar area.
He said due to bumper onion production, India has removed its cap (minimum export price or MEP) on onion export which helped Bangladeshi traders import a huge volume of onion.
Onion was imported at Tk 12-Tk 22 a kg by private importers from India in last one year, raising grave concerns among local growers, he added.
He said the government should impose restrictions on onion import as the country has witnessed its bumper production in recent years.
Md Rabiul Islam Manik, a farmer at Sujanagar in Pabna, told the NN, Pabna correspondent that onion acreage in his area increased threefold in last four years after the farmers got handsome returns from the crop.
Harvesting of seed onion has started in many places, he said.
He said ‘murikata’ was selling at Tk 15-16 per kg which was Tk 22-Tk 24 per kg last year. “Production cost is not less than Tk 16 a kg”.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), onion production was 1.85 million tonnes, an all-time high, in the last fiscal year (FY’16).
Besides, the commerce ministry sources also said, the country has an annual demand for 2.0-2.2 million tonnes of onion. Private importers, however, imported more than 0.75 million tonnes of onion in last one year.
According to Free Press Journal, an Indian daily, onion both stored and seasonal (new red) sold at Tk 11.22 per kg (Rs 9.51) to Tk 5.43 (Rs 4.6) a kg based on qualities for last one week in Nasik, one of the biggest onion hubs in the world.
Narayan Chandra Saha, proprietor of Nabin Traders at Shyambazar, said onion production has increased significantly in the country in recent years thanks to continued profitable prices during harvesting season.
He said import cost also declined significantly as India removed MEF following its bumper production.
He said the government should impose import restrictions after observing local supply and global price trend.
Another onion importer told that a good portion of Indian onion imported by Bangladeshi traders is being exported to some Asian countries this year.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Director Chaitanya Das said onion production stood at 1.85 million tonnes from 0.8 million tonnes in nine years back.
The country has a shortage of only 0.3-0.4 million tonnes which could be met in next three or four years by encouraging the farmers, he said.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), the government has set target to produce 1.9 million tonnes of onion from 0.187 million hectares of land in FY’17.
Key onion hubs are Faridpur, Pabna, Rajshahi and Kushtia regions.
Local growers may face hurdle in the next season due to influx of onion imported by Bangladeshi traders from neighbouring India at lower rate, farmers said.
They have also urged the government to impose restrictions on onion import till April next to protect them from the price debacle.
Onion prices remain much lower this year compared to that of last two years thanks to its bumper production in the country and huge imports at cheaper rate from India.
Visiting some wholesale and retail markets in the city, The New Nation (NN) found that onion (local) was selling at Tk 33-Tk 42 per kg while imported varieties were selling at Tk 18-Tk 31 per kg based on its quality.
According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), onion (local) sold at Tk 50-Tk 60 per kg and (imported) Tk 40-Tk 50 a kg in the corresponding period last year.
The newly-harvested seed onion started arriving in the market and those will have to compete with demandable old onion, said Anowarul Kibria, proprietor of B Baria Traders, a whole sell shop in the city’s kawran Bazar area.
He said due to bumper onion production, India has removed its cap (minimum export price or MEP) on onion export which helped Bangladeshi traders import a huge volume of onion.
Onion was imported at Tk 12-Tk 22 a kg by private importers from India in last one year, raising grave concerns among local growers, he added.
He said the government should impose restrictions on onion import as the country has witnessed its bumper production in recent years.
Md Rabiul Islam Manik, a farmer at Sujanagar in Pabna, told the NN, Pabna correspondent that onion acreage in his area increased threefold in last four years after the farmers got handsome returns from the crop.
Harvesting of seed onion has started in many places, he said.
He said ‘murikata’ was selling at Tk 15-16 per kg which was Tk 22-Tk 24 per kg last year. “Production cost is not less than Tk 16 a kg”.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), onion production was 1.85 million tonnes, an all-time high, in the last fiscal year (FY’16).
Besides, the commerce ministry sources also said, the country has an annual demand for 2.0-2.2 million tonnes of onion. Private importers, however, imported more than 0.75 million tonnes of onion in last one year.
According to Free Press Journal, an Indian daily, onion both stored and seasonal (new red) sold at Tk 11.22 per kg (Rs 9.51) to Tk 5.43 (Rs 4.6) a kg based on qualities for last one week in Nasik, one of the biggest onion hubs in the world.
Narayan Chandra Saha, proprietor of Nabin Traders at Shyambazar, said onion production has increased significantly in the country in recent years thanks to continued profitable prices during harvesting season.
He said import cost also declined significantly as India removed MEF following its bumper production.
He said the government should impose import restrictions after observing local supply and global price trend.
Another onion importer told that a good portion of Indian onion imported by Bangladeshi traders is being exported to some Asian countries this year.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Director Chaitanya Das said onion production stood at 1.85 million tonnes from 0.8 million tonnes in nine years back.
The country has a shortage of only 0.3-0.4 million tonnes which could be met in next three or four years by encouraging the farmers, he said.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), the government has set target to produce 1.9 million tonnes of onion from 0.187 million hectares of land in FY’17.
Key onion hubs are Faridpur, Pabna, Rajshahi and Kushtia regions.
