200 import licenses (IPs) will be granted every day to maintain the stability of the onion market. As previously, a maximum of 30 tonnes of onions will be permitted per IP. According to a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday, 50 IPs were issued every day till yesterday, Friday. On December 7, the government started issuing import permits for onions.

The press release said that the existing application conditions will remain in force. This means that only traders who applied for import permission from 1 August onwards will be eligible to resubmit applications. Each importer will be allowed to apply only once. This initiative will continue until further notice to keep the onion market at a tolerable level.

Meanwhile, imported Indian onions are yet to have a significant impact on the market. On Friday, in the capital’s retail markets, Indian onions were sold at Tk 100 to Tk 120 per kg, depending on quality. As Indian onions remain expensive, local onions have returned to their previous high prices. Old local onions were sold at Tk 140 to Tk 150 per kg, while newly arrived muri-cut onions were selling at Tk 100 to Tk 110 per kg.