Onion prices suddenly surge in capital’s kitchen markets

Onion prices have suddenly started rising in the capital’s kitchen markets. In the last three days, the price of onions has increased by up to Tk 15 per kilogram. Traders are concerned that prices may rise further in the coming days.

They say domestic onions are currently in the peak season, but the supply at wholesale markets has unexpectedly decreased, leading to an increase in prices. The largest quantity of onions comes to Dhaka from Faridpur, and the price of onions from there is rising. According to traders, this indicates that prices may continue to increase.

A visit to several markets in Dhaka on Monday (April 14) showed that the price of onions per kilogram ranged from Tk 50 to Tk 65, depending on the market. Just last Friday, the price was Tk 40 per kilogram. Some traders were selling premium onions for Tk 45, but now those onions are priced at Tk 60 to Tk 65 per kilogram.

Md Jahangir, who sells onions at Malibagh Hajipara, said, “Last Friday, we sold onions for Tk 40 per kilogram, but over the past two days, the wholesale price has increased multiple times. Yesterday, we sold them for Tk 45 per kilogram. Today, with the price we bought them at, we cannot sell for less than Tk 50.”

He added, “Every time I go to the wholesale market, the price of onions is increasing. Today, I heard that the price of onions in Faridpur has reached Tk 50 per kilogram. This means that onion prices in Dhaka could rise further because most of the onions in Dhaka come from Faridpur. When prices rise in Faridpur, they will rise here too.”

At Rampura market, it was observed that traders were selling onions for Tk 50 to Tk 55 per kilogram. Just last Friday, the price was Tk 40 to Tk 50 per kilogram, indicating a Tk 10 increase in just three days.

Al Amin, a vendor at Rampura, said, “Suddenly, the price of onions has increased in the wholesale market. In the past two days, the price has increased by more than Tk 10 per kilogram. Since the wholesale price is high, we have no choice but to increase our prices. We cannot sell them for a lower price when we are buying them at a higher cost.”

He added, “The quality of onions now is very good, and these onions can be stored for a long time. We have started stockpiling onions. Increased monitoring at the wholesale markets and warehouses is necessary to prevent further price hikes.”

At Shantinagar market, it was found that traders were selling low-quality onions for Tk 50 per kilogram, while premium onions were being sold for Tk 60 to Tk 65 per kilogram. Just last Friday, premium onions were priced at Tk 50 per kilogram, and low-quality onions were Tk 45. This shows a Tk 15 increase in the price of premium onions in just three days.

Sulaiman Hossain, who was buying onions at Shantinagar, said, “A few days ago, I bought premium onions for Tk 45 per kilogram, but today they are asking for Tk 65 per kilogram. In just a few days, the price has increased by Tk 20 per kilogram. The sellers are saying the wholesale price has gone up, which is why they are increasing their prices.”

He added, “This is the peak season for domestic onions, so why are the prices increasing like this? The real issue is that there is no monitoring in the market right now, which is why traders are increasing prices arbitrarily. The relevant authorities should increase monitoring in the market immediately, or onion prices will rise even further. We have already seen the prices of onions rise abnormally in the past. The government must act swiftly to regulate the onion market.”