Rangpur Correspondent :
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Wednesday blamed India for the ongoing crisis of onions in local markets.
“The onion crisis appears as they [India] stopped the export of onion without prior notice,” the minister said while addressing a progamme in Rangpur. The Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment organised the event under assistance of the Divisional Commissioner’s Office with Divisional Commissioner KM Tariqul Islam in the chair.
Tipu Munshi said India’s ban has given them a lesson on how to deal such crisis in the future.
A volatile situation hit the local markets since India banned the export of onion on September 29 with immediate effect to meet its domestic demands as Bangladesh is much dependent on India to import onions.
The Commerce Minister also called upon the officials concerned for engaging inclusive efforts with a changed mindset in rendering services to produce more skilled manpower and enhance the export of them.
“We have learnt a lot from the current onion crisis. Some difficulties teach to properly identify reasons behind those for permanent solution to benefit the nation,” the Commerce Minister said.
“Our farmers produce 22 to 23 lakh tonnes of onion annually and around five lakh tonnes of produce are damaged during harvest, transportation and preservation keeping 17 to 18 lakh tonnes as consumable,” Tipu said.
The country faces a deficit of seven to eight lakh tonnes of onion annually, and the traders import 90 percent of the deficit onion from India alone.
“Generally, 75,000 to 80,000 tonnes of onion were being imported every month from India. Price of onion has increased sharply after stopping onion export from India to Bangladesh from September 27,” Tipu said.
“We immediately took decision to import onion from Myanmar, Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan,” he said.
The landing cost of onion from Myanmar initially stood at Taka 40 per kg, but soon rose to Taka 80 per kg when traders in Myanmar raised its export price.
“We have already imported about 1,000 tonnes of onions by air with landing cost of Taka 200 per kg and are selling the same at subsidized rate of Taka 45 per kg through Trading Corporation of Bangladesh,” Tipu said.
By this time, 2,000 tonnes of onion shipment already arrived on Tuesday by the sea route while shipments of 40,000 to 50,000 tonnes of more onions are to arrive in the country by the next 10 days.
“We have learnt a good lesson and want to become self-reliant on onion production,” Tipu said adding that newly harvested onions will flood local markets soon and steps will be taken so that farmers get a fair price.
Mayor of Rangpur Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abdul Alim Mahmud, Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md Zakir Hossain, Additional Deputy Inspector General of Rangpur Range Police Iqbal Hossain and Deputy Commissioner Md Asib Ahsan were present as special guests.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Wednesday blamed India for the ongoing crisis of onions in local markets.
“The onion crisis appears as they [India] stopped the export of onion without prior notice,” the minister said while addressing a progamme in Rangpur. The Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment organised the event under assistance of the Divisional Commissioner’s Office with Divisional Commissioner KM Tariqul Islam in the chair.
Tipu Munshi said India’s ban has given them a lesson on how to deal such crisis in the future.
A volatile situation hit the local markets since India banned the export of onion on September 29 with immediate effect to meet its domestic demands as Bangladesh is much dependent on India to import onions.
The Commerce Minister also called upon the officials concerned for engaging inclusive efforts with a changed mindset in rendering services to produce more skilled manpower and enhance the export of them.
“We have learnt a lot from the current onion crisis. Some difficulties teach to properly identify reasons behind those for permanent solution to benefit the nation,” the Commerce Minister said.
“Our farmers produce 22 to 23 lakh tonnes of onion annually and around five lakh tonnes of produce are damaged during harvest, transportation and preservation keeping 17 to 18 lakh tonnes as consumable,” Tipu said.
The country faces a deficit of seven to eight lakh tonnes of onion annually, and the traders import 90 percent of the deficit onion from India alone.
“Generally, 75,000 to 80,000 tonnes of onion were being imported every month from India. Price of onion has increased sharply after stopping onion export from India to Bangladesh from September 27,” Tipu said.
“We immediately took decision to import onion from Myanmar, Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan,” he said.
The landing cost of onion from Myanmar initially stood at Taka 40 per kg, but soon rose to Taka 80 per kg when traders in Myanmar raised its export price.
“We have already imported about 1,000 tonnes of onions by air with landing cost of Taka 200 per kg and are selling the same at subsidized rate of Taka 45 per kg through Trading Corporation of Bangladesh,” Tipu said.
By this time, 2,000 tonnes of onion shipment already arrived on Tuesday by the sea route while shipments of 40,000 to 50,000 tonnes of more onions are to arrive in the country by the next 10 days.
“We have learnt a good lesson and want to become self-reliant on onion production,” Tipu said adding that newly harvested onions will flood local markets soon and steps will be taken so that farmers get a fair price.
Mayor of Rangpur Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abdul Alim Mahmud, Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md Zakir Hossain, Additional Deputy Inspector General of Rangpur Range Police Iqbal Hossain and Deputy Commissioner Md Asib Ahsan were present as special guests.
