Bangladesh wants to export onion and potato to Sri Lanka

Once an importer, Bangladesh now wants to export onions to Sri Lanka to ensure better prices at the growers’ level and increase bilateral trade between the two countries.

Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir will send a team from Bangladesh to Sri Lanka to assess the export potential of onions and potatoes, according to a statement from the commerce ministry today.

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Through the initiative, Bangladesh hopes to develop new markets for agricultural products while boosting bilateral trade.

The issues were discussed at a bilateral meeting between Muktadir and Wasantha Samarasinghe, Sri Lanka’s minister of trade, commerce, food security and cooperative development, at a side event on the second day of the 11th Belt and Road Summit 2026 in Hong Kong today.

The meeting covered Bangladesh’s agricultural production capacity, potato prices in the Sri Lankan market, and challenges in the regional supply chain.

Muktadir said that even after meeting domestic demand, the country has a significant surplus of potatoes and onions. He said new export markets need to be developed for these products.

The Bangladeshi minister also said new potatoes are currently being sold in Bangladesh’s retail markets at Tk 25-30 per kilogramme. Given Bangladesh’s relatively low production costs and competitive prices, he said there is potential for Bangladeshi potatoes in the Sri Lankan market.

Wasantha Samarasinghe expressed interest in importing potatoes and onions from Bangladesh. He said strengthening regional trade would bring positive outcomes for the people of the region.

Muktadir urged the country’s private sector to establish a long-term presence in the Sri Lankan market.

He said that maintaining year-round supplies of quality products at competitive prices would be essential to sustaining export markets.

If necessary, the feasibility of establishing warehousing and other infrastructure facilities in Sri Lanka will also be explored.