The price of per kg of onions sold by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has been reduced from Tk 45 to Tk 35 but there are fewer buyers than before.
Sellers of TCB onions from fifty spots in the city often remain idle as the number of buyers has dropped.
Only a few days ago, long lines were seen in front of TCB trucks and now things are totally different.
One buyer says: “I have come since the price is down to Tk 35. There’s new local onion in the market but the price is still high, at Tk 120 to Tk 130 per kg.”
Many are buying TCB onions because they look exotic in size and colour.
Onion dealer Mansur Ali says: “As long as the government wants, we will continue to sell onions and the TCB programme will run until the price becomes normal.”
“We are getting four tonnes every day; the unsold onions are brought the next day to be sold, he said, adding: “Since, the demand has fallen it takes longer to sell the onions.”
Humayin Kabir, personal secretary to TCB chairman, observed: “This will go on until the market is back to normal. We are giving four tonnes to each truck daily.”
The onion crisis began when India suddenly stopped export on Sept 29. At that time, the price rose to Tk 250 per kg.