Onion imports through Dinajpur’s Hili land port have decreased due to rising prices in India and renewed dollar crisis as banks do not issue LCs (Letters of Credit) as per demand. This has affected the retail market. Hardworking people are in trouble.
It has been seen that five days ago onions were sold at 65 to 70 taka per kg in the open market, now they are selling at 110 to 115 taka. In a span of few days, you have increased by about 40 to 50 taka per kg.
According to Hili port sources, 796 metric tons of onions were imported from India on Saturday (October 28) in 28 vehicles, 384 in 15 vehicles on Sunday, 331 in 12 vehicles on Monday and 434 metric tons in 15 vehicles on Tuesday.
A vegetable trader named Shakeel Hossain said that we are facing a lot of problems due to the increase in the price of onion in the space of a few days. Actually we are retail traders and we have nothing to do here. However, the price of Indian onion has increased due to increase in import cost.
Atiyar Hossain, a vegetable trader in Katlabazar, said that on Tuesday morning, he bought three kilograms of onion from Birampur wholesale at the price of Tk 110 per kg. We are bringing it to the market and selling it at the rate of Tk 120 per kg. We have to listen a lot to customers. In fact, the big traders are increasing the prices, but we have to listen.
Auto driver Akbar Ali (60) of Hili Charmatha area said, “Brother, our income has already decreased. People are riding in autos if they have to. Moreover, it is difficult for poor people like us to survive in the market situation.
He also said that there are four breadwinners in my family. Rice, vegetables, oil cost about 5 and a half to 600 taka. But driving an auto all day earns 350 to 450 taka. Every day the income is tight. I am in a lot of danger.
Haroon ur Rashid Haroon, President of Hili Landport Import-Export Group, said the increase in onion prices in India has affected the country’s market. India has also increased its export value. Earlier, onion was imported at 205 US dollars, but now the government of India has increased it to 800 US dollars. This will cost 88 rupees per kg to import onion from India. This has had some effect on the price.
JB
