The price of brinjal, a popular ingredient in iftar items, has shot up by 150 percent to Tk100 per kilogram in the market ahead of Ramadan.
While visiting different kitchen markets on the eve of the fasting month yesterday, this correspondent found brinjal selling for Tk100 per kg at Gulshan and Hatirpul and Tk95 at Mohakhali.
At Karwan Bazaar, the city's largest wholesale kitchen market, brinjal was being sold at Tk60 per kg, while it went for Tk80 just outside the market.
The retail price of the vegetable, also called eggplant, was only Tk40 per kg on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, prices of other vegetables, like cucumbers and green chillies, and other essentials used for preparing iftar items also soared in city markets yesterday.
Green chilli prices doubled to Tk80 per kg, from Tk40-50 four days ago. Cucumber was selling at Tk60 per kg, while coriander leaves cost Tk150 per kg.
The price of both local and imported ginger also saw an unusual rise in the market. The Dhaka Tribune found one kilogram of local ginger selling at Tk 200, Indian ginger at Tk170- Tk180, Indonesian ginger at Tk190 and Chinese ginger at Tk230-240.
Last week, the government imposed a ban on exporting green chilies, brinjals, cucumbers, coriander leaves and lemons to keep prices stable and ensure smooth supply of the vegetables in the domestic market during Ramadan.
Although some wholesalers and retailers blamed shortages in supply for the latest price hikes, this correspondent did not find any dearth of
fresh produce during visits to the city markets.
“Prices of some items, mostly brinjal, green chili and cucumber, has increased because of high demands and supply shortages in the market,” said Md Emran Master, president of Bangladesh Kancha Mal Arot Malik Samity.
Popular items for iftari _ snacks eaten while breaking fast - have seen unusual hikes, but the prices would come down soon, the leader of the wholesalers' association added.
Meanwhile, a mad rush for buying essential items in bulk for fear of price increases was also a reason behind the sudden hikes, Emran said.
“Prices of essentials used for iftari have increased as demands have increased more than the supply,” Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune.
A total of 14 monitoring teams were deployed to check the abnormal surge in vegetable prices, the secretary said, adding that stern action would be taken against those responsible.
However, Kalam, a vegetable seller at Hatirpool kitchen market, said retailers did not have the means to manipulate prices, which were set by the suppliers.
“We have no influence over the prices of commodities. The prices of vegetables increased at the supply end, prompting the retailers to hike prices,” said Kalam.
“If the government agencies set a limit between farm price and wholesale price, it would help keep prices at a reasonable level,” he added.
On the other hand, consumers blamed lack of monitoring by the authorities for the price increases.
“Due to lack of government monitoring, prices of essentials have gone beyond the reach of the common people, and we are the sufferers,” Aminul Islam, a shopper at Hatirpool, said.