The price of green chilli has been increasing in a skyrocketing trend with the beginning of Ramadan on Thursday.
In the capital’s kitchen markets, chilli was being sold at Tk200, a 66.68% hike within two days, whereas it was sold at Tk100-120 in the previous week.
The wholesalers alleged that middlemen had been making huge profits, as they cannot buy products directly from the growers, rather the products come to the markets through two-three hands that raise the prices.
Md Selim, a green chilli wholesaler at the capital’s Karwan bazar said: “The middlemen raise the prices, as we cannot buy green chilli from the cultivators.”
The consumers could buy it at Tk80-100, if the wholesalers and retail sellers could buy it from the cultivators directly, he added.
Vice–President of FBCCI Helal Uddin told the Dhaka Tribune: “Three or four greedy people take the opportunity and make an artificial crisis of short supply to make a windfall profit.”
Regarding allegations of stocking green chilli in cool-storage, the VP said District Commissioners of Rangpur and Mynamish had already informed him that there was no sign of green chilli stock in cold storage there.
“July is not a season for green chilli and heavy rainfall in last few days along with recent floods in different areas of the country can be blamed for the price hike of chilli,” he said.
Rangpur and Kurigram that supply hundreds of tonnes of chilli went under water due to flood and chilli production got rotten due to the rainfall.
Sakur Ali, a chilli importer, said local importers stopped importing green chilli from India as chilli was being sold at Rs100 in Kolkata markets.
Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have already informed the authorities concerned to ensure smooth supply of green chilli. Hopefully, price of green chilli will be stable soon.”
