Agriculture minister admits to people's sufferings due to onion price hike

Admitting that the people suffered a lot due to skyrocketing prices of onion, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque in parliament today assured that such problem will not be there in the next year.

“This year onion was cultivated in more than targeted areas. So, the production of onion will cross 23-24 lakh metric tonnes…. If there is no natural disaster, there will be no problem in the next year as measures taken in this regard,” he said.

The minister came up with the remarks while replying to a supplementary question of Awami League MP Ayeen Uddin.

Razzaque said the import of onion will remain suspended during the harvesting season so that the farmers get fair prices and encouraged to cultivate the daily ingredient in larger scale.

He said the farmers did not get fair prices of onion during harvesting season, so they lost interest in cultivating the essential item.

The agriculture minister said the annual production of onion is 23-24 lakh tonnes against the total demand of 30-32 lakh metric tonnes. The deficit of onion is fulfilled with importing the item, he said.

He further said resentment and worry gripped the country’s people over the price hike of onion. At present the onion price came at stable level to some extent in the market, he added.

The government lost control over the item’s market as huge amount of it was rotten in the fields due to excessive monsoon rain in the last season and due to India’s suspension of its export suddenly, he said.

But India has recently withdrawn suspension over the onion export, he informed.

In reply to a supplementary question from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal MP Shirin Akter, the minister said the prices of onion will no way remain Tk 110 per kilogramme.

The prices of onions shot through the roof, reaching Tk 250 in Dhaka and many other districts causing immense suffering for the people in November last year.

A present the onion is being sold per kg at the price of Tk 120 to Tk 140 which is triple of the normal price.