Smuggling of spices hitslocal importers hard

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Monira MunniSpice traders are worried over the future of their business as large quantities of spices are being smuggled from India to the country's bordering areas ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha. Importers said they have almost suspended import of spices in recent times as they fail to compete with the smuggled spices' prices. According to traders, the demand for spices that remains at a nominal level round the year skyrockets ahead of Eid and the country is almost completely dependent on import for meeting its demand for spices. The country imports spices mainly from Madagascar, Indonesia, Dubai, Singapore, China, Pakistan, India, Guatemala, Iran, Syria, Turkey, Vietnam and Zanzibar. "The business of spices is very dull because of the illegal entry of spices though it is the peak season ahead of the Eid," President of Moulovi Bazar Mashalla Babosayee Samity Mohammad Enayet Ullah told the FE Thursday. "We need to pay high duty while illegal entry of spices is free any high tax or duty"|, he said adding importers pay on an average 62 per cent duty for importing spices like clove, cardamom and cinnamon. "I have to pay duty of Tk 600 for a kg of cardamom," Mohammad Rubel, an importer, said. "We are facing serious crisis in our business as the prices of spices that come through legal channel are much higher than that of the smuggled ones", Mr Rubel, who is also the general secretary of spice wholesalers' association of Moulavi Bazar, he said. The spice market has now switched to the border areas like Hili, Sonamasjid, Chhagalnaiya, Feni and some other bordering areas of Comilla, he said. "We are not against the spices that are brought from India", he said adding "But it should be done in a legal way as smuggling of any products has a serious negative impact both on market and business." "We have already written to the Prime Minister requesting her to take necessary steps to stop the smuggling," Mr Enayet Ullah said. However, retailers at city's different kitchen markets said prices of some spices especially cardamom witnessed a downward trend in recent times. On Thursday, small, medium and big-sized cardamom was retailed at Tk 2000, Tk 2400-2500 and Tk 2600-2800 per kg respectively. Clove ranged between Tk 1800 and Tk 2000 per kg, cinnamon was sold at Tk 220-240 per kg and cumin seed at Tk 480-500 per kg. Prices of other spices like turmeric and onion declined in the city's kitchen markets. Turmeric retailed at Tk 160-250 per kg which was Tk 200-260 per kg earlier and imported onion sold at Tk 28-32 per kg against Tk 33- 36 per kg earlier and local one at Tk 36-40 per kg which was at Tk 42-48 per kg during Ramadan. But garlic prices were up by Tk 5 per kg and ranged between Tk 55 and Tk 70 per kg. Ginger, dry chili and coriander seeds remained stable and sold at Tk 65-70, Tk 210-220 and Tk 70-80 per kg respectively.