CHATTOGRAM, Oct 28: The heat of onion prices has started to cool down with arrival of the freshly-imported onions at both wholesale and retail markets in the port city.
Officials and traders said the wholesale and retail markets became stable recently following arrival of the imported onions from different countries by sea route and sale of the kitchen staple at subsidised rates through TCB trucks in different city areas.
On Wednesday, imported Pakistani onions were selling at Tk 50-80 per kilogram, based on qualities, Chinese ones Tk 55-65 and Myanmar onions Tk 70 a kg at the retails where the prices were much higher one week back than that on the day.
On the other hand, the wholesalers were trading Pakistani onions at Tk 45-60 per kg, Chinese ones Tk 45 a kg and Myanmarese onions Tk 50-60 a kg on the day.
Meanwhile, the wholesale price of the local onion also started to cool down from its previous high with one kilogram of the indigenously produced bulb selling at Tk 60 a kg on the day.
Deputy director of Plant Quarantine Centre of Chittagong Port, Dr Muhammed Asaduzzaman Bulbul, said they had issued NOC for quick delivery of 21,321 metric tonnes (MT) of onions against 330 import permission (IP) till Tuesday (October 27, 2020).
He said, he importers have taken 567 IPs for bringing in 1,98,554 MT onions in the last couple of months from 12 countries which are China, Myanmar, Turkey, Egypt, New Zealand, Netherland, Malaysia, South Africa, Ukraine, India, UAE and Pakistan.
Mohammed Idris, general secretary of Chattogram Onion Importers Association said, "The price of onion at wholesales has already been decreased.
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