Prices of onion will go down significantly soon and will be stable within a week, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said on Tuesday.
At present, newly harvested local onion has started entering the market along with onion imported from abroad, he also said.
The commerce minister told these to reporters in a press conference at his secretariat office on recent price hike of onion. Commerce Secretary Md. Jafar Uddin and other high officials of the ministry were present in the press briefing.
Replying to a question on leather, Tipu Munshi said the government will directly procure rawhides from all districts in next Eid-ul-Azha through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
Meanwhile, prices of onion have started declining in different parts across the country. Overall, the spice is being sold at prices ranging from Tk 120 to Tk 140 per kg. It was sold at maximum Tk 170 per kg in Pabna on Tuesday.
The minister also said the government has taken moves to preserve onion around the country from next season to tackle its price hike. The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) is now working on the issue.
Besides, the ministry is continuing its market monitoring to rein in the price spiral of onion. Some 2,500 dishonest businessmen have been punished for their involvement in selling onion at abnormal prices.
Mr. Munshi further said the government has set a target to bring in 50,000 tonnes of onion through airways that will meet 50 per cent of the country's demand until November 30.
The first air consignment of onion was scheduled to reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday night. But it was delayed due to technical causes, and was supposed to arrive there on Tuesday.
Regarding possible price hike of onion in the wake of latest transport strike, he said he will discuss the issue with the minister concerned to take necessary steps.
A request was placed to the Indian commerce minister on October 24 for withdrawal of the restriction on exporting onion to Bangladesh. But, they did not respond positively, he mentioned.
Seeking cooperation from both print and electronic media, the commerce minister urged the reporters to be more conscious in preparing their reports.
"It is completely a rumour that is happening over salt price in the market," he added.
The commerce secretary said a good number of onion consignments will reach the country by air from November 21 to November 26.
Onion will be imported by both chartered cargo planes and passenger planes - from Egypt, Turkey, China and some other onion exporting countries, he added.
The briefing was also informed that some 12,000 tonnes of onion are in the pipeline, which will be brought by waterways and will enter the market as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the prices of onion remained almost unchanged at retail level on Tuesday despite a gradual downward trend in the city's wholesale markets.
The local variety of the spice was selling at prices between Tk 180 and Tk 220 per kilogramme (kg) in different kitchen markets across the city, while its wholesale price varied from Tk 140 to Tk 150 per kg.
On the other hand, the hybrid and imported varieties of the spice were selling at prices between Tk 140 and Tk 160 per kg.
According to traders, imported Egyptian, Burmese and Chinese onions were selling at Tk 140, Tk 150 and Tk 140 per kg respectively although their wholesale price was below Tk 100.
Meanwhile, a consumers' rights body formed human-chains on Tuesday to protest the price hike, urging people to abstain from consuming onion for a week.
Conscious Consumers Society (CCS) and its youth wing Consumer Youth Bangladesh (CYB) organised the programme in seven universities across the country, including Rajshahi, Kushtia, Sylhet and Barishal between 12.00 pm and 2.00 pm.
[email protected], [email protected]
