MYANMAR exported the highest volume of onion in 2019-2020 financial year over the past ten years, according to a news released by the Ministry of Commerce.
In 2019-2020FY, Myanmar exported 105,751 tonnes of onion as of 7 August 2020.
The country granted export of the onion to foreign markets freely in 2010. Since then, Myanmar exported 56,512 tonnes in 2012-2014FY, 66,713 tonnes in 2016-2017FY and 87,832.16 tonnes in 2018-2019FY. The country exported the highest volume of onion in 2019-2020FY.
Myanmar exports onion to China via Muse border annually. Starting from September 2019, the country has also exported onion to Bangladesh. Myanmar’s onions are primarily shipped to markets in China and Bangladesh.
With a high volume of onion export, the summer onion price increased to K3,000 per viss (one viss equals 1.6 kg) in the first week of December 2019 from K500 per viss in April 2019.
“With the rising prices of onion, the local growers are growing more winter onion. Although the winter onion yields highly, the demand for onion from Bangladesh has dropped. So, there is a surplus of onion in the local market. Therefore, the price of onion on 1 September 2020 was only about half price compared to that of 4 September 2019,” said Ko Tun, a Yangon onion purchaser.
On 4 September, the Seikphyu onion price ranged between K400-450 per viss while the Yenangyaung onion between K340- 380 per viss depending upon the size of the onion in Yangon market, according to Bayintnaung Onion Depot.
Maung Sae Aung (Translated by Hay Mar)
