Onion prices in the Yangon market decreased in the third week of January, but they increased again on 22 and 23 January.
Seikphyu and Myingyan onion prices dropped to K1,100- K1,500-K2,000-K2,100 per viss, but they rose to K1,400- K1,900-K2,300 per viss on 22 and 23 January.
Myittha onion prices have remained relatively stable, priced at K2,200-K2,500- K2,800-K3,000 earlier. They ranged within K2,220-K2,600- K2,800-K3,000 per viss on 22 and 23 January.
Some onion sellers are seen moving around Yangon in small pickup trucks or motorized tricycles, selling new monsoon onions at the retail rate of K2,000 per viss, as mentioned by Ma Than Win, a housewife residing in Thiri Street, Sanchaung Township, Yangon Region, to The Global New Light of Myanmar.
Onion prices skyrocketed in 2022 and 2023. Since then, the retail selling trend has shifted to mobile shops in the Yangon market. In the middle of 2021, sellers used vehicles to sell onions, pricing them at K1,000 per viss for retail purchases within Yangon.
In December 2022 and 2023, the wholesale price for large-sized onions was K5,100 per viss, whereas the retail price was K5,000 per viss and above.
More than 3,200,000 visses of onions from various towns and cities arrived in the Yangon market in November 2023 on 25 working days of the wholesale market. Approximately 3,200,000 visses of onions arrived in December 2023 on 24 working days of the wholesale market. In January 2024, although it has only been 16 working days at the wholesale market, more than 3,300,000 visses of onions have already arrived in the Yangon market, according to preliminary statistics from daily commodity reference prices.
On 22 and 23 January 2024, 350,000 visses of onions arrived in the Yangon market. On 23 January 2023, Myingyan onion was priced at K1,650- K1,800-K1,900 per viss, and Myittha onion was priced at K2,000-K2,200-K2,300 per viss, according to the old prices. On 23 January, a total of 284,000 visses of onions arrived in the markets from three towns and cities, where the highest price was K2,000-K2,200 per viss in Pakokku and Myingyan markets, whereas K1,875 per viss in Seikphyu market. — TWA/TMT
