The withdrawal of the import duty has begun to show in onion prices. Local onions are selling at Tk 60 to 62 a kg in the market, down from Tk 65 to 70 last week. Indian onions, which were Tk 60 to 65, now sell for Tk 40 to 50. Onions from Myanmar are cheaper still, at Tk 35 to 40.

Onion prices began to rise from the start of October. On 6 October, imported onions sold for Tk 90 to 110, up from Tk 70 to 80 the week before, while local onions sold for Tk 80 to 90, up from Tk 70 to 80. Shoppers in the capital's retail markets also had to pay these prices.

This was despite imported onions from neighbouring Myanmar and Pakistan arriving in the market during this period. The domestic market became unstable after India banned onion exports on 14 September. To keep prices normal, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has increased its sales of onions at fair prices.

Source: Samakal. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.