Onion prices fall in wholesale market; no effect at retail level

Onion, a popular kitchen item, continued to be sold at high prices at the retail level in the capital on Friday despite a fall of Tk 20-30 per kilogram in the wholesale market.

After visiting several kitchen markets in the capital, the UNB correspondent found that the local variety of onion was being sold at Tk 100-110 per kg and imported ones at Tk 50-80 in wholesale market.

On the other hand, local onions are being sold at Tk 130-150 per kg in the retail markets while the imported ones cost Tk80-125.

Manik Saha, a wholesaler at Shyambazar, told UNB that prices of onion have dropped by Tk30 on Friday due to lack of buyers. “We didn’t get customers because of the Dhaka city election. The price can further drop tomorrow,” he said.

Another wholesaler, Khondoker Alom, said they were selling local onion at Tk100, Burmese at Tk 90-100, China at Tk 55, Pakistani at Tk 75, Egypt at Tk 60 on Friday morning.

According to data from state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), locally-grown new onion was available at Tk 130-140 per kg and the imported bulb at Tk 70-125 on Thursday in retail market.

A week ago, the locally-grown variety was available at Tk 90-110 while the imported ones cost Tk 60-90, according to TCB.

Onion prices skyrocketed in the domestic market in September last year after India banned the export of bulb. Since then, the prices of onion have been fluctuating in the local market.

Source:UNB