Import of potato, onion from India halted

The West Bengal government has stopped online slot bookings for trucks, halting the import of potatoes and onions from India through Hili Land Port. This has led to a rise in the prices of both items in the Hili area.

Since Tuesday morning, no onions have been imported through the port. However, two trucks of potatoes, which had been booked earlier on Monday, arrived. The price of potatoes at the port has risen to 70 Taka per kilogram, marking a 10 Taka increase per kilogram within a day. Despite the rise in potato prices, onion prices remain stable.

On Sunday, 14 trucks carrying 396 metric tons of onions and 72 trucks with 2,000 metric tons of potatoes were imported through the port. After this, the West Bengal state government stopped issuing export slots for shipments.

An Indian exporter in condition of remaining anonymity explained that the price hike in potatoes and onions across various regions of West Bengal led the state government to take this decision. However, they plan to meet with government representatives to explore the possibility of exporting potatoes and onions from other states to Bangladesh. The exporter also expressed concerns about the potential damage to their business if the trucks, already loaded, are unable to get online slot bookings.

Sakhawat Hossain Shilpi, president of the Hili Land Port import-export group, mentioned that the West Bengal government requires online slot bookings for exporting goods to Bangladesh, but the system was abruptly shut down on Sunday, leaving exporters unable to secure bookings. As a result, the import of both potatoes and onions has been disrupted. While the previously booked potato trucks arrived on Monday, no new imports have been possible since Tuesday due to the halted slot bookings.