OUR CORRESPONDENTS
A sudden price hike of green chilli, an indispensible cooking ingredient, has come as a deep concern for the common consumers in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Manikganj and Sylhet in recent time.
Our Rangpur correspondent reports: Abnormal price rise of the most import spice item has added to woes of the common people who are already bearing the brunt of the price spiral of other essential commodities.
Traders attributed the situation to scanty supply of the item to the wholesale markets due to last several days’ incessant rainfall.
Presently, one kg green chilli is being sold at Tk260 to 280 depending on quality in the retail outlets although it was sold for Tk80 to Tk100 per kg just a week before.
Raihan, a retailer of Rangpur City Bazar, told The FE he sold a kg of green chilli at Tk90 to 100 a week ago. But at present, he is selling it at Tk260 to 280 per kg. Scanty supply of chilli from the wholesale shops has caused its abnormal price hike, he added.
Forhad Mia, a wholesaler of Rangpur City Bazar, claimed prices of chilli shot up owing to inadequate supply. Incessant rainfall during recent time in different areas of the country seriously hampered production of green chilli, causing drastic fall in its supply to the wholesale markets and resulting in abnormal hike in its prices.
Customer Mostafa told The FE at Rangpur City Bazar, “It seems tough for the people of fixed-income group like us to maintain families due to price spiral of green chilli and other essential items. We are also paying through the nose for other commodities including rice.”
Talking to the FE, Md Enamul Haque, training officer of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Rangpur, said price of green chilli has soared due to supply crunch. Recent rainfall and flood in different areas of the country laid an impact on the supply chain of the essential spice crop. He hoped that the situation will be fully normal with the beginning of the next harvesting season of the crop.
Our correspondent from Lalmonirhat writes: Prices of green chilli have sharply risen in the last few days everywhere in Lalmonirhat district, reportedly thanks to supply crunch caused by the recent days’ non-stop rainfall.
While only two weeks ago the price was very normal, on Monday green chilli was being sold at Tk200-240 per kg in the local markets, vegetable vendor of Lalmonirhat Sena Maitri Kitchen Market said.
When asked about the sudden hike in price of chilli, Aminul Islam, a vendor of the market, said that short supply was the reason for abnormal price hike. He said most of the chilli plants died due to extreme heat and sunlight.
Farmers mostly collected chilli from the plants that had been planted earlier. Their plants already died and they are now planting new ones in the chilli fields.
A correspondent from Manikganj says: A visit to different local markets-including Bhatbaur Arod, Pouro Kacha Bazar, Town Bazar, Beutha Bazar, and Kachari Bazar-on Sunday revealed an unusual hike in prices of the item and notable differences between wholesale and retail rates.
Observations indicate that prices fluctuate based on the quality of chilli and market conditions.
In the wholesale markets, green chilli was being sold at Tk120-130 per kg while the same chilli was retailing for Tk180-200 per kg. Street vendors in various neighbourhoods were selling green chilli at Tk160-180 per kg.
Lal Mia, a trader at Bhatbaur Arod, said, “Just a week ago, we were selling good-quality green chilli for Tk40-50 per kg. Now it has suddenly jumped to Tk120-130.”
Our correspondent from Sylhet adds: Low-income and middle-income people in Sylhet have witnessed high prices of green chilli mainly due to short supply.
It is selling for Tk200 to 240 per kg in the city’s retail markets and Tk160 at wholesale markets. People are now buying lesser quantities of vegetables due to high prices.
The volatile price situation resulted from supply disruption caused by excessive rainfall for days together, said Lahin Mia, vegetable vendor at the city’s Subidbazar area.
Monitoring by the authorities is still absent, which has kept the market unstable, said another seller Ataur Rahman at his vegetable shop at Rikabibazar.
Both said they need uninterrupted supply and regular monitoring to keep the vegetable market stable.
About 500 hectares of land had been brought under chilli farming in the current season in Sylhet division while in the winter it was about 4,500 hectares, officials said.