Economic Reporter :
Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque on Thursday said that onion prices still remain beyond control due to inadequate import and lack of stock.
He came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after attending the annual research review workshop at Bangladesh Rice Research Institute here.
The minister said although the current demand for onion is 25-26 Lakh tonnes, only 300-500 tonnes are being imported.
The minister also said, “Our farmers couldn’t put onion in their stocks after harvest due to rain. Besides, we failed to presume that India would ban onion export. May be it was our fault. We should have conducted a survey in advance.”
“We’ve to keep in mind that the price of a commodity depends on demand and supply. It cannot be controlled by the Rab, police and army,” he added.
Presided over by BRRI Director General Dr Md Shahjahan Kabir, the workshop was addressed, among others, by Director General of the Department of Agriculture Extension Dr Md Abdul Muid, Executive Chairman of the Agricultural Research Council Md Kabir Ikramul Haque.
Onion prices shot up record high recently, beyond the purchasing capacity of consumers. The government has started importing onions by air while onions from Myanmar have already reached Bangladesh.
Yet there is hardly any sign of a fall in price in the local markets. Onion prices soared at a rocket speed, but have been falling at a snail’s pace.
The price restriction heated up the onion market in Bangladesh as the country meets a portion of its annual demand through imports because of inadequate domestic production.
Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque on Thursday said that onion prices still remain beyond control due to inadequate import and lack of stock.
He came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after attending the annual research review workshop at Bangladesh Rice Research Institute here.
The minister said although the current demand for onion is 25-26 Lakh tonnes, only 300-500 tonnes are being imported.
The minister also said, “Our farmers couldn’t put onion in their stocks after harvest due to rain. Besides, we failed to presume that India would ban onion export. May be it was our fault. We should have conducted a survey in advance.”
“We’ve to keep in mind that the price of a commodity depends on demand and supply. It cannot be controlled by the Rab, police and army,” he added.
Presided over by BRRI Director General Dr Md Shahjahan Kabir, the workshop was addressed, among others, by Director General of the Department of Agriculture Extension Dr Md Abdul Muid, Executive Chairman of the Agricultural Research Council Md Kabir Ikramul Haque.
Onion prices shot up record high recently, beyond the purchasing capacity of consumers. The government has started importing onions by air while onions from Myanmar have already reached Bangladesh.
Yet there is hardly any sign of a fall in price in the local markets. Onion prices soared at a rocket speed, but have been falling at a snail’s pace.
The price restriction heated up the onion market in Bangladesh as the country meets a portion of its annual demand through imports because of inadequate domestic production.
