A total of 1,171 tons of onions have been imported from India through Hili land port in Dinajpur district in a single day, reducing prices by Tk 5-10 per kg.
Shafiul Alam, revenue officer at the Hili Land Port Customs Station confirmed the matter.
He said 40 trucks carrying 1,171 tons of onions arrived on Saturday, up from the usual 15-20. Import of onions from India through the land port continued on Sunday.
"Since the onion is a perishable good, the consignments are released quickly if the clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents submit bills of entry," he further said.
Hili Land Port office sources said three varieties of onion -- Indore, Nagar and Nasik -- are being imported from India. Each kilogram of onion was sold at Tk 65-70 even a day ago which is now being sold at Tk 60-65 per kg.
Ayub Hossain, a wholesaler of onion, at Hili, said they supply onions from the port to various wholesale markets countrywide. Though imports have continued, prices remained high until recently. Just a day ago, we were buying onions at Tk65-70 per kilogram, but prices have now dropped to Tk60-65. The demand at markets has also declined slightly with the arrival of locally grown fresh onions.
Onion importer Mamunur Rashid said steady imports and India's new harvests have improved supply, causing prices to fall. Besides, withdrawal of import tariffs has encouraged increased imports. All the small and large importers at the land port have started importing onion from India.
He also said new varieties of onion are being harvested in different states of India. As the supply to the markets of those states has risen, prices have declined somewhat.
