Onion prices are still steep in the market with each kilogram selling for over Tk 100 despite the commerce minister’s assurance that prices would drop in a couple of days to supplies from Myanmar and Turkey.
A spot visit to markets across the capital on Friday (Oct 4) showed the high prices although Indian onion prices have dropped slightly to Tk 95 per kilo.
According to Trading Corporation Bangladesh (TCB), in the last one year onion prices went up 120 percent. However, 73.68 percent of the rise happened in the last month alone.
Prices of the kitchen staple skyrocketed when India announced a ban on onion export on Sept 29 due to floods. Following the announcement prices went up to Tk 110 to 120 per kilogram in the markets.
In order to control the markets the TCB started selling onion at Tk 45 per kilo at their trucks from Sept 30.
“We got good results from the initiative we adopted to control the prices. Prices have gone down Tk 20-25 per kilo” said TCB spokesperson Humayun Kabir.
However, consumers expressed disappointment at the prices which they deemed to be very high still.
“It’s very difficult for those with limited income to buy onions for Tk 100 per kilo,” Selim Uddin, a private company employee who was shopping at the Kawran Bazaar kitchen market told Bangla Tribune. Several other consumers echoed.
Meanwhile, traders said that prices will drop within the next week when shipments of onion from Myanmar, Egypt and Turkey hit the markets.