As onion prices continue to surge across the country, the government has decided to allow imports from India to stabilise the domestic market.
Yet more than one hundred importers at Satkhira’s Bhomra land port are still awaiting official approval to begin importing the essential commodity as of Sunday.
Despite applying online to the Directorate of Agricultural Extension (DAE) under the Ministry of Agriculture, none of the importers had received permission.
To protect local farmers, government imposed restrictions on onion imports for over three months. However, as prices soared in recent weeks, authorities moved to reopen imports.
On Sunday, Bhomra-based importers submitted applications to the DAE’s director general seeking approval, but no permits had been issued by evening.
In Satkhira’s local markets, locally grown onions were sold at Tk120 per kilogram.
Ohidul Islam, general secretary of the Bhomra Port Import-Export Association, said many traders had applied for import permission.
Once approved, they will be able to open LCs with banks and start importing onions from India, which he said would help bring prices back to a stable level.
