The first consignments of a total of 180 tonnes of onions from Pakistan and Myanmar have arrived at the Chattogram port; authorities have also issued clearance certificates for the release of the newly imported onions.
According to Mohammad Asaduzzaman Bulbul, the deputy director at the port’s Plant Quarantine Station, Chattogram's Kayel Enterprise brought 54 tonnes of onion from Myanmar while Green Trade bought 116 tonnes from Pakistan. “These will be available in the market soon,” the official said on Tuesday. "We've issued a clearance in favour of this invoice. The consignment has been unloaded from the port. Another 118 tonnes of onions have come from Pakistan. Hopefully, more will also enter the country soon from the other importers," he added.
Asaduzzaman said traders have taken 322 permits (IPs) for importing 1,47,554 tonnes of onions through the Chattogram Seaport Plant Quarantine Center. They will import onions from 12 countries -- China, Egypt, Turkey, Myanmar, New Zealand, Netherlands, Malaysia, South Africa, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India and Pakistan, he added.
Bangladesh began sourcing onion from other countries than India after the South Asian giant banned exports of the root vegetable to control prices at the domestic market in mid-September.
Source: bdnews24.com
