Bangladesh plans to start importing onions on Monday to boost supply as prices skyrocket

Prices of the kitchen staple have neared Tk 100 a kg

The government has decided to allow import of onions, starting on Monday, to control the market as the price of the kitchen staple has neared Tk 100 per kg.

The agriculture ministry made the announcement in an urgent notice on Sunday after being pushed by the commerce ministry to allow the imports for weeks.

Onion prices rose throughout May and reached Tk 80 per kg, double the cost one month earlier.

As the commerce ministry threatened to resume imports, the prices decreased slightly.

The prices rose again as the agriculture ministry refused to allow import of onions, citing the local farmers’ interests and saying domestic production was enough to meet the demand.

Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque had said onion prices should not cross Tk 45 a kg at this time of the year.

He blamed a syndicate of traders for the price hike and said the government started monitoring the market.

But there was no visible progress in stopping the so-called syndicate.

On Sunday, the agriculture ministry said in the notice that it decided to allow imports to safeguard the interests of consumers and ease sufferings of low-income people as the prices have increased abnormally.