Import of Indian onions resumes through Hili land port after five and a half months

Import of onion from India through the Hili land port in Dinajpur resumed after a gap of five and a half months.

Local importers said that, subject to clearance, consignments of Indian onions would enter Bangladesh through the port this afternoon (Sunday).

According to the Plant Quarantine Centre at Hili land port, the Ministry of Agriculture has so far granted permission to seven importing firms to bring in 230 tonnes of onions from India between Thursday evening and 2:00 pm today.

The firms are: M/S Satata Banijyalay, M/S Nashat Traders, MS Al Makkah Impress, M/S Jagadish Chandra Roy, Crown Trading International, Anas Group Pvt. Ltd., and Radhe-Shyam & Sons.

Of them, Radhe-Shyam & Sons has been cleared to import 50 tonnes, while each of the other six firms may import 30 tonnes of onion.

Anwar Hossain, deputy director of the Plant Quarantine Centre, confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.

He added that if further permissions are granted to additional firms, details will be known later this afternoon.

Land port sources said that the last import of Indian onions through Hili took place on 2 March, when a truck carrying 29 tonnes entered Bangladesh.

Since then, as prices of locally grown onions fell and demand for Indian onions declined, importers ceased bringing them in.

Recently, however, with onion prices rising again in domestic markets, importers applied to the Ministry of Agriculture for approval to resume imports.

Babulur Rahman, proprietor of M/S Satata Banijyalay, told Prothom Alo, “I have received permission to import 30 tonnes of onions through Hili land port. These will arrive this afternoon on one truck. The wholesale price per kilo will be set after customs assessment at the port, adding our margin.”

Vegetable trader at Katlabazar of Birampur, Estamul Haque, said he was selling onions at Tk 70 per kilo today. “We’ve heard onions are coming in from India. Once those reach Bangladesh, retail prices should start to fall. But that would also mean having to sell onions bought earlier at a loss.”