Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will start sale of four daily essentials—lentils, soybean oil, potatoes, and onions—in trucks at various points in the capital from Tuesday (November 14, 2023) alongside its family card programme. These products will be available at half of the current market price. Secretary to the Commerce Ministry Tapan Kanti Ghosh said these while talking to reporters at the conference room of the Ministry of Commerce at the Secretariat on Monday. “Through the TCB card, 13 lakh families in Dhaka are being given products at a fair price. Apart from this, from Tuesday (November 14), 25 to 30 trucks will sell products in Dhaka when 9000 more families will be able to buy goods at lower prices. 300 people will get these products from each truck. Sales will take place every day except Fridays and Saturdays, with different days allocated to different places,” he said. Read: TCB to import soybean oil, lentil for OMS programme He said that the truck sale would be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. Given the increase in imports, the scope of this truck sale will be increased, said the commerce secretary. He said that it will be monitored to ensure that TCB family cardholders do not buy products from these trucks. Meanwhile, according to the sources of the Ministry of Commerce, a consumer can buy products from these truck sale only once a month. Read: TCB to start selling 5 products to 1 crore families at subsidized prices Tapan Kanti Ghosh said, “Anyone can buy 2 kg of lentils, potatoes, and onions and 2 liters of soybean oil. In this case, the potato will be sold at Tk 30 per kg, onion at Tk 50, lentils at Tk 60, and soybean oil at Tk 100 per liter.” About egg import, Tapan Kanti Ghosh said that the import of 25 crore eggs has been approved. “62000 eggs have been imported. Our aim is not to import eggs but to reduce the price of eggs. If the price is low, there is no problem even if the import is low,” he said. Read more: TCB to sell onion at Tk35 per kg to cardholders from Monday But until the market stabilizes, potatoes and eggs will be imported. “We got significant results because of the import of eggs and potatoes. Instructions have been sent from the Prime Minister's office that potatoes will be sold at Tk 27 per kg from cold storage. Potatoes will be released from cold storage in the presence of a district administration representative.”

Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque on Sunday said by distributing the BARI-4 onions which is a high yield variety that doesn't concede on taste across the country, Bangladesh can start exporting onion in two or three years. The minister made the remarks while visiting the cultivation and possibility of this variety at Char Mansha village in Bhola sadar upazila. “We need to import 8 to 10 lakh tons of onions from abroad every year. India puts a bar on exporting onions to us which increases the price in the local market. By distributing the BARI-4 variety not only we will become self-sufficient in onion production and also will be able to export it,” said the minister. Also read: Kushtia onion farmers struggle with production cost amid falling price The minister said, earlier the workers could buy 2-3 KG of rice with a day’s earnings but now they can buy 10 kg of rice. “Due to Covid-19 and Russia, Ukraine war the prices of food products saw a record hike across the globe. We acknowledge that people are struggling as prices of some essential commodities have also increased in the country affected by the global situation. But there is no food crisis in the country and people are not starving,” said Abdur Razzaque. But some economists, civil society and BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir are playing broken records all day long that the country is drowning, people are dying of hunger as if there is a famine going on, said the minister. Also read:Jashore may wipe away Bangladesh's onion tears this year The minister said the soil in Bhola is fertile and scientists here have invented new varieties of several crops including paddy, onion, potato, eggplant, mango, and litchi. “The farmers will benefit if these crops can be grown successfully as the yield of these varieties is high. Revolutionary change will come in agriculture as agricultural production in the country will increase, as well as will not need to import from abroad”, he added.  

Advanced Dutch technology and skills will be used to preserve onions to increase their shelf life, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque said Saturday. The minister made the remarks while inspecting Waterman Onions, an onion manufacturing, processing, packaging and exporting company, in the Netherlands. He said that the Government of Bangladesh is working towards achieving self-sufficiency in onions. During his visit the Minister expressed interest in bringing technology from the Netherlands to enhance improved varieties, production and storage period. Read: Proposal for duty withdrawal on onion import to be considered: FnM If there is a shortage of onions in Bangladesh in September-December, importing from the Netherlands can also be considered, he said. Later, the Minister of Agriculture visited All-round Vegetable Processing, a vegetable processing, storage equipment and agro-equipment manufacturer and marketing company. Read: Hili onion importers suffer as India bans export During the visit, the Minister called for setting up industries in Bangladesh through joint ventures. He said Bangladesh has a conducive environment for investment and the government of Bangladesh will provide necessary assistance in this regard.

India has decided to allow export of some quantity of onions which was handed over to customs on the date imposing ban on onion export.

Dhaka, Sept 29 (UNB) – The Indian government on Sunday banned the export of onions with immediate effect till further orders for what it says improving domestic availability.