City spice market heating up as Eid festival nears

---

Monira Munni
Prices of different local and imported spices have slightly increased at the retail level in the local markets as the demand for the same has started going up ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
The retail traders blamed wholesalers for the increase saying this has become a common trend before Eid every year as the consumption of the spices goes up during this time.
"At the wholesale level cardamom was selling at Tk 1200-Tk 1400 per kg compared with its last month's price of Tk 1150-Tk 1300 per kg," Arif, a wholesaler at Kawran Bazar, told the FE.
Cinnamon was selling at Tk 180 per kg Friday in city markets compared with its previous rates of Tk 130-Tk 150 per kg.
Cumin seeds were selling at Tk 260-Tk 340 per kg on the day against Tk 200-Tk 220 previously.
Cloves were selling at Tk 500-Tk 640 per kg compared with its previous rates Tk 480, he said.
Almond was selling at Tk 800 per kg while Jatrik was selling at Tk 720 per kg.
At the retail level, some major spice items, including cardamom was selling at Tk 1300-Tk 1650 per kg, cinnamon at Tk 220-Tk 250 per kg, cumin seeds at Tk 320-Tk 400 per kg and cloves at Tk 700- Tk 800 per kg, traders said.
Spices have become dearer also because of the price hike in the international markets, market sources said.
"Since the weather condition of Bangladesh is not suitable for spice cultivation, the country is totally dependent on import of the items," Moulvi Bazar Malik Samity President Abdul Enayet Ullah told the FE.
The import duty and the freight charges were also increased recently pushing up the prices of spices in the local markets, he added.
Traders mainly import different varieties of spices from China, Pakistan, India, Guatemala, Iran, Syria, Turkey, Vietnam and Zanzibar, he said.
Market operators said prices of locally produced spices including onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric and chilis have also gone up to some extent.
Prices of both local and imported onion increased by Tk 10 to Tk 12 per kg compared to last month's price at the retail level in the city ahead of the festival.
Now a kilo of local onion is selling between Tk 48 and Tk 50 and imported Indian onion between Tk 40 to Tk 42 in the retail markets. Garlic was selling between Tk 90 to Tk 120 per kg while ginger was selling at Tk 100- Tk 110 per kg.
Dry chili at Tk 160- Tk 180 per kg, powdered turmeric at Tk 200 per kg and powdered dhoniya at Tk 170- Tk 180 per kg on an average at retail level.