Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and flood situation in the country, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will start open market sale (OMS) of onion at Tk30 per kilogram across the country from Sunday.

Besides, it also will sell sugar, lentils, and soybean oil at a subsidized price.

In face of soaring onion prices in the kitchen markets, the government last week decided to launch OMS of onions through the TCB to increase supply and provide the essential cooking ingredient to the low-income people at affordable prices.

"As per the decision of the Commerce Ministry, TCB will start selling onions, sugar, lentils and soya bean oil through 275 trucks across the country from today, and it will continue to October 1," TCB spokesperson Humayun Kabir told Dhaka Tribune.

OMS will operate from Sunday to Thursday.

A consumer will be able to buy a kilogram each of onions at Tk30, sugar at TK50, lentil at Tk50, and soybean oil at Tk80.

Consumers can buy a maximum of two kilograms of sugar, pulses and onions, and five-litre soybean oil.

As of Saturday, locally produced onions sold at Tk70-75, while imported onions were sold at Tk50-55 per kg.

On the other hand, per kilogram of bottled soybean oil sold at Tk110 and a five-litre container was sold at Tk490-540 in the kitchen markets.

Unpacked soybean oil was sold at Tk86-92 per litre.

Locally produced lentils sold at Tk125 a kg, while medium-quality imported variety was sold at Tk90-95 and the coarse variety at Tk65-70 a kg.

Packed sugar sold at Tk75 per kg, while unpacked was told at Tk65.

Of the 275 mobile trucks, 40 trucks will sell goods in Dhaka followed by 10 in Chittagong, seven in Rangpur, while for Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet and Comilla and Bogra — five trucks will be allocated for each and two for Jhenaidah and Madaripur.

On the other hand, for every district there will be two trucks for selling the goods.

Also, an additional 13 trucks have been allocated for the flood-affected districts, specifically four in Mymensingh and Rangpur, three in Bogra and two in Madaripur.

Each OMS truck will contain 200-400kg of onions, 500-700kg of sugar, 400-600kg of lentils, and 700-1,000 litres of soybean oil.