Abdul Jalil works in a private company who bought 20 kilogram onion just before Ramadan and it would meet his four months demand.
A businessman, Morshed Alam, also did the same thing and bought a bulk amount of onion giving excuse that price usually goes up during Ramadan.
These micro level demands add up and has put an upward pressure on onion price even at this peak season.
Local onion at present is being sold at between Tk 47 and 49 per kilogram while Faridpur hybrid onion at Tk 42 to 45 and Indian onion at Tk 38 to 40.
Shaymbazar wholesaler Abdur Razzak told the Bangla Tribune, “The price of local onion is supposed to be between Tk 30 and 35 per kg in this peak season but now at retail level the price is as high as Tk 49.”
According to Tariff Commission, the total onion demand is 2.4 million tonnes and against it, in the first eight months of the current fiscal, 2.1 million was tonnes was produced locally while 0.45 million tonnes were imported from India.
Another wholesaler Rahamat Ali said, “Local production is very good and import supply chain is also in smooth operation. There is no shortfall rumour in the market.”
He said he had no idea why the demand pressure went up.
Commerce ministry Additional Secretary Munshi Shafiul Haque told the Bangla Tribune, “Production and supply of onion is satisfactory and there is no problem in the country.”
Onion importer Mostafa Khaleq told the Bangla Tribune, “Usually demand goes up just before Ramadan as the consumers fear that price might go up. Hopefull after 7 or 8 Ramadan, price would come down.”