A total of 1,171 tons of onions were imported from India into Bangladesh through the Hili land port in Dinajpur district, leading to a decrease in prices by $0.058-$0.12. Shafiul Alam, the revenue officer at the Hili Land Port Customs Station, reported that 40 trucks loaded with onions arrived on a single day, a significant increase from the usual 15-20 trucks. The import activity continued into the following day. Alam highlighted the expedited clearance process for perishable goods like onions, contingent upon the submission of bills of entry by clearing and forwarding agents.
Three varieties of onions - Indore, Nagar, and Nasik - are being imported, with prices dropping from Tk 65-70 ($0.76-$0.82) to Tk 60-65 ($0.70-$0.76) per kg. Ayub Hossain, a wholesaler from Hili, mentioned that these onions are distributed to various wholesale markets across the country. Despite ongoing imports, prices remained elevated until a recent drop attributed to the arrival of local harvests and improved supplies from India, according to onion importer Mamunur Rashid. The removal of import tariffs and the introduction of new harvests in India has further facilitated the import process, leading to a more stabilized market.
Source: daily observer