Onion import begins via Bhomra land port

The onion import has finally started via Bhomra land port in Satkhira, 81 days after it was suspended to protect the interest of the country's onion growers.

A total of 330 metric tonnes of onions have already arrived in Bangladesh from India on 11 trucks. The supervisor of Bhomra land port custom Iftekharuddin confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.  

The import was suspended on 15 March considering the interest of the country’s farmers. But the government on Sunday announced to allow the imports in a press release in a bid to cut the skyrocketing price of the kitchen staple in the country’s market.  

Bhomra C&F agent association general secretary, Maksud Khan, told Prothom Alo that a number of onion-laden trucks using Ghojadanga land port at Boshirhata in India entered Bhomra land port after 5:00pm on Monday.

Apart from this, hundreds of trucks carrying onion consignment are waiting in queues on the Indian side. They couldn’t cross the country’s border as they failed to complete the necessary paperwork, he added.   

Maksud Khan hopes these trucks will be able to enter the country tomorrow.

Satkhira district marketing officer Saleh Md Abdullah told Prothom Alo that the onions were sold at Tk 90 to Tk 95 in the Satkhira's market around 9:00 am on Monday. The price came down to Tk 85 after 11:00 am. It will decrease further on Tuesday.