Here in Dhaka, onions make the front page of the local paper as often as the Bangladesh cricket team does. Both can make you cry, although the cricket team has been a cause for celebration lately!
Why are onions such a topic of interest?
Most produce in Bangladesh is grown domestically. It's seasonal. Sometimes you can get spinach and butternut squash, at other times okra and eggplant. Just like most local farmers' markets.
A few staples, like onions, are available all year, and are not always locally sourced. But the prices are far from consistent, which means that they provide interesting insight into Bangladesh's social and economic activities.
The demand
Onions are a key ingredient in most tasty Bengali dishes. It's hard to forego them. The average Bangladeshi consumes about 2 pounds of onions per month, maybe four pounds during Ramazan.
During holidays, such as last month with Eid and Ramazan, onion prices skyrocketed. And consumption still increased! In 2014, onion prices hit an all-time high of 100tk ($1.28) during Eid. This year, in Dhaka the average price passed tk60 ($0.64) for a kilogram, compared with last year's tk40 ($.51).
Between 20-40% of onions are imported from India. They are typically cheaper, bigger, and considered by some to be less tasty than locally-grown onions.
Heavy rainy seasons can also lead to low onion production and supply. Last year India had heavy rains, this year rains here in Bangladesh seem neverending.
And the prices of onions from India are rising, so Bangladesh is exploring alternative options with Myanmar and China to make sure we have enough to make our meals delicious year-round, as well as to maintain their affordability.
The bottom line
Affordability of onions appears to be a fairly sensitive indicator of peace, economic prosperity, happy relations with India, the weather, and more. There's a PhD dissertation idea for the taking.
Thinking about onions has made me hungry. Guess what's for dinner?
 |
| If they published this every day, it could really help with my negotiations at the market! Source: Front page, Daily Star, Aug 7, 2015 http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/poor-feeling-the-pinch-122884 |
Why are onions such a topic of interest?
Most produce in Bangladesh is grown domestically. It's seasonal. Sometimes you can get spinach and butternut squash, at other times okra and eggplant. Just like most local farmers' markets.
A few staples, like onions, are available all year, and are not always locally sourced. But the prices are far from consistent, which means that they provide interesting insight into Bangladesh's social and economic activities.
The demand
Onions are a key ingredient in most tasty Bengali dishes. It's hard to forego them. The average Bangladeshi consumes about 2 pounds of onions per month, maybe four pounds during Ramazan.
During holidays, such as last month with Eid and Ramazan, onion prices skyrocketed. And consumption still increased! In 2014, onion prices hit an all-time high of 100tk ($1.28) during Eid. This year, in Dhaka the average price passed tk60 ($0.64) for a kilogram, compared with last year's tk40 ($.51).
The supply
Two weeks ago, the price of onions rose for other reasons, including: a blockade on the bridge over the Buriganga because local transport drivers were angry about the toll hike, Cyclone Komen in Chittagong displaced 300,000 people, and the heavy monsoon rains throughout Bangladesh deterred many trucks from making their normal deliveries to Dhaka.
Heavy rainy seasons can also lead to low onion production and supply. Last year India had heavy rains, this year rains here in Bangladesh seem neverending.
And the prices of onions from India are rising, so Bangladesh is exploring alternative options with Myanmar and China to make sure we have enough to make our meals delicious year-round, as well as to maintain their affordability.
 |
| This weather makes me want to curl up in a rickshaw too....... |
Affordability of onions appears to be a fairly sensitive indicator of peace, economic prosperity, happy relations with India, the weather, and more. There's a PhD dissertation idea for the taking.
Thinking about onions has made me hungry. Guess what's for dinner?
No comments:
Post a Comment