Prices of onions and gingers are sharply increasing in the kitchen markets due to their short supply and price hike in Indian market.
Meanwhile, the government is mulling over the import of onions from Nepal and Myanmar through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) to rein in the increasing price of onions, a source in the commerce ministry said.
The ministry is expected to hold a meeting tomorrow with the onion importers and seek their opinions to resolve the issue.
Visiting different kitchen markets in the city it was seen that Indian onions were selling at Tk68-Tk70 per kg while local onions were sold at Tk72-Tk75.
Onions were sold at Tk50 per kilogramme in the first week of this month, and it was seen friday at the Karwan Bazar wholesale market that onions were being sold at Tk60.
Meanwhile, per kilogram locally produced ginger was being sold at Tk160 and imported at Tk150, making it Tk30-Tk40 higher compared to the previous week.
“Prices of onions increased in our kitchen market as India, the sole import country of Bangladesh is currently facing shortage, which also pushed the price in their local market,” said Md Helal Uddin, vice-president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
“We are mulling over alternative markets to import onions to avert an unusual price hike,” he added.
“Prices of onions and gingers in the kitchen markets increased due to a supply shortage as the importers are not importing because of a high price in the Indian market,” said Md Emran Master, president of Bangladesh Kanchamal Arot Samity.
He alleged that Bangladeshi stockists were not marketing locally produced onions with the hope of further rise in prices. If local onions were available in the market, prices would not soar, he said, urging the government to ensure supply of onions and gingers, otherwise it would create more crises.
“I have bought a kilogramme of onion at Tk70, which was Tk50 before Eid,” said Anisul Islam, a shopper at Hatirpul kitchen market.
“If the prices of essential commodities continue to rise, we have to cut consumption,” he noted.
The importers remained silent about importing onions and they would take a decision after the government initiatives, said an importer who preferred not to remain anonymous.
