Price of imported onions drops; new and old potatoes sold at same rate

The market has seen a noticeable drop in onion prices due to imports from India and the arrival of new stock. However, potato prices remain unchanged, with old and new sold similarly.

On Tuesday, a visit to Mirpur-1 vegetable market in the capital revealed the current situation for onions and potatoes.

Last Saturday alone, 1,171 tons of onions were imported through the Hili land port in Dinajpur from India.

The continued imports have influenced the market, causing onion prices to drop.

Alongside imports, domestically produced onions have also started entering the market, contributing to the visible impact on prices.

On Tuesday, cross-variety onions are being sold at Tk110 per kilogram, with both small and large onions priced equally.

Local onions are selling for Tk120, while Indian onions are priced at Tk90 per kilogram. In some shops, Indian onions are being sold at Tk80.

Last Friday, cross-variety onions were sold at Tk130 per kilogram, local onions at Tk140, and Indian onions at Tk100. Within three days, the prices of onions dropped by Tk10–20 per kilogram, with cross-variety and local onion prices decreasing by Tk20 and Indian onions by Tk10 per kilogram.

New Indian potatoes arrived in the market weeks ago, and now local new potatoes are also available.

However, despite the arrival of new potatoes, the price of old potatoes remains unchanged.

Today, new potatoes are being sold at Tk80 per kilogram, while old red potatoes, white potatoes, and Bogra potatoes are also priced at Tk80, Tk80, and Tk90 per kilogram, respectively.

Comparing Tuesday prices with last Friday, new potatoes have dropped by Tk20 per kilogram, but the prices of all types of old potatoes remain the same.

When asked about the unchanged price of old potatoes despite the arrival of new ones, potato and onion vendor Md Liton explained that old potatoes are still being purchased by consumers, including farmers who buy them for cultivation. This demand keeps the prices steady.

Another vendor, Md Sharif, added that old potatoes are more versatile for cooking than new ones. New potatoes will take two to three more months to mature and match the usability of old ones. Hotels and restaurants still prefer old potatoes, which maintain their demand and price.

A shopper, Mahfuzur Rahman said: “The drop in onion prices is good, but they should decrease further. However, buying potatoes at Tk80 is unacceptable, yet we are forced to buy them.”

Another customer, Sharmin, questioned: “How can the price of new and old potatoes be the same? This is unusual. We’ve had to pay high prices for potatoes this time. But since the prices are now equal, I prefer new potatoes as they spoil less and don’t sprout quickly.”

Additionally, the prices of garlic and ginger have also decreased.

Local garlic is being sold at Tk250–260 per kilogram, Chinese garlic at Tk220–230, Chinese ginger at Tk200, and new Indian ginger at Tk120 per kilogram.

Comparing Friday’s prices, local garlic has dropped by Tk10 per kilogram, Chinese garlic by Tk10–20, and Indian ginger by Tk20 per kilogram.