Onion vanishes: Faridpur faces price shock

Onion prices in Faridpur have surged by Tk 1,000 per maund over the past 10 days due to reduced supply in the market, affecting retail customers.

According to Md Shaheduzzaman, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Faridpur, the district is the second-largest onion-producing region in the country.

This year, a total of 38,000 hectares of land were brought under onion cultivation, yielding 6.77 lakh metric tonnes.

Farmers, however, were frustrated as they received only Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,500 per maund during the season, while they needed Tk 2,000–2,200 per maund to break even and make a profit.

In the past 10 days, the price of onion in the wholesale market has risen from Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,500–2,600 per maund, with retail prices now ranging between Tk 70 and Tk 75 per kg.

Traders blamed the supply shortage for the price hike, noting that farmers are currently occupied with jute processing, resulting in fewer onion deliveries to the market.

Tapan Kumar, a trader from Kanaipur, said there is no onion import from abroad at the moment and the local supply is insufficient to meet demand, which is pushing prices up sharply.

Moniruzzaman, an onion trader from Boalmari upazila, said, "Farmers are busy with retting, washing and drying jute. That’s why less onion is reaching the wholesale markets."

Expressing frustration, Saifur Rahman from Saltha upazila said farmers did not get fair prices during the harvesting season and now most of the remaining stock is in the hands of large wholesalers.

"It's the wholesalers who are profiting from the current price surge. We farmers have nothing left to gain," he said.

In local markets, including Kanaipur, Saltha, Boalmari and Nagarkanda, onions are selling at Tk 60 to Tk 75 per kg depending on the variety.

Consumers have voiced dissatisfaction over the sharp price rise and urged the government to take urgent measures to stabilise the market.

Saida Akter, a homemaker, and Rahmatullah, a customer at Chawkbazar  in Faridpur town, said people with limited income are finding it increasingly difficult to afford essential goods.

Authorities must act quickly to control the situation, they added.

Faridpur Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Sohrab Hossain said the district administration, along with the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, is regularly monitoring the markets.

"Legal action will be taken against any unscrupulous trader found hoarding onions," he asserted.