Dhaka consumers feel green chilli heat amid onion tears

After the onion prices brought tears, consumers now find green chilli burn a hole in their pocket.

The prices of green chilli rose by around Tk 50 per kilogram in a week.

As if that’s was not good enough, prices of other vegetables, too, have drastically increased.

No vegetable cost below Tk 50 a kg on Friday.

Traders claim floods in several parts of the country following incessant rains caused a shortage of supplies and the resultant rise in prices.

Imported green chillies were being sold at Tk 160 to 200 a kg and local green chillies at Tk 200 to 250 in Dhaka on Friday.

The maximum price of green chilli was Tk 180 last week.

On Friday, many of the traders were seen charging Tk 280 for a kg of green chilli. They were selling 250 grams of green chilli at Tk 75.

When asked why he was charging such an exorbitant price, ‘Mohsin’, a trader at Mohakhali kitchen market, promptly replied: “Quality of chilli is good, so the price is high.”

“We are also buying at higher prices. If you buy from others, out of 250 grams you will find 50 grams of chillies either rotten or very tender. But I am not selling such stuffs,” he added.

Noor Mia at Karwan Bazar was selling two types of chilli – green and white.

“The white chilli is from India. I am charging Tk 160 per kg of this variety and Tk 45 for 250 grams,” he said.

He was asking Tk 220 for a kg of local green chilli and Tk 60 for 250 grams.

“The green chilli fields in Bangladesh have been destroyed in the flooding. The market now is in short supply of local green chilli. The prices will further increase if the supply of chilli from India stops,” Mia said.

A customer was seen angrily arguing with Mia over the growing prices of vegetables.

“I have been shopping at Karwan Bazar for around 25 years, but never seen prices going so high. The prices rose during the floods in 1998, but not to this extent,” he said.

He blamed government’s lack of market monitoring for the hike.

Bitter melon and ladies’ fingers were being sold at Tk 70 a kg, Parwal Tk 60, aubergine Tk 80, Luffa Tk 50, taro Tk 35 to 50, snake gourd Tk 50 to 60 a kg, and green banana Tk 25 to 30 per four pieces.

Vendors selling vegetables on rickshaw vans were charging Tk 10 to 15 more than the market prices.

Mukul Ahmed, who sells vegetables on rickshaw vans at Section-11 in Mirpur, said he bought vegetables from Karwan Bazar and the market beside Shah Ali Mazar at Section-1.

“The prices in those markets have increased by Tk 50 per five kgs. So I have to charge more,” he said.

Karwan Bazar wholesale kitchen market owners’ association General Secretary Abdul Mannan said the prices rose due to lack of supply following rains.

“We are receiving just six to seven truckloads of vegetables. The supply was 10 trucks earlier,” he said.

He said they were taking steps to normalise the supply.

“We are speaking to the traders. Goods are coming from India,” he said.

Prices of garlic, broiler chicken and sugar have also gone up. Onion and egg prices, however, dropped.

On Friday, local garlic was being sold at Tk 80 to 90 and imported garlic at Tk 110 to 120 a kg. The maximum price of local garlic earlier was Tk 80 a kg and imported garlic was Tk 100 a kg.

Price of broiler chicken rose from Tk 145 to Tk 155 per kg.

Local onion was being sold at Tk 70 to 80 and imported onion at Tk 60 to 70 a kg, Tk 5 less than last week.

A dozen of farm eggs cost Tk 108. The price was Tk 112 a week ago.             

Price of sugar has been increasing since the National Board of Revenue slapped import duty on Aug 25.

Sugar was sold at Tk 38 to 40 a kg last week, but the price was Tk 39 to 42 on Friday.

Packaged sugar cost further Tk 2 to 3 more.