Despite the government's efforts to regulate the prices of dates, one of the staple items for iftar, consumers are still facing inflated costs in the retail market.
The commerce ministry on Tuesday set maximum retail prices for two common types of dates -low quality and Zaidi, aiming to ease the burden on consumers during Ramadan.
According to the ministry's decision, lower-quality dates will be priced between Tk 150 to Tk 165 per kg while Zaidi date should range from Tk 170 to Tk 180 a kg.
However, visits to retail markets in Rayerbazar, Mohammadpur, Karwan Bazar and Shantinagar revealed stark discrepancies.
Coarse Zaidi dates were being sold at the prices ranging from Tk 250 to Tk 450 a kg, significantly higher than the government-fixed rates.
Md Farid, a salesman of Bismillah Store in West Dhanmondi, said wholesale prices have soared tectonically long ahead of Ramadan.
He said this year date is 50-90 per cent higher in the wholesales than that of last year.
Low-quality date is being traded at Tk 180-190 in the wholesale markets while good-quality Zaidi was traded at Tk 270-290 a kg even in Badamtoli wholesale market in the capital, he said.
An official concerned said the ministry has fixed the prices after analysing import costs, duties, and taxes associated with date imports.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) data showed above 38,000 tonnes of date was import since the government's slice import duties by 10 percentage points.
Proprietor of M/S AR International Hazi Md Zillur Rahman, a Badamtoli-based importer, told the FE that the timing of the government's intervention, coinciding with the beginning of Ramadan, as a factor limiting its effectiveness.
He said low-quality date import price is hardly Tk 80 a kg, but total import duties are still Tk 55.
He said such quality date is not available in Dhaka and Chattogram, which have been sent to villages and suburbs.
He said they gave Tk 130 duties for one kg 'Zaidi' date when its import price was maximum Tk 100.
According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the coarse date prices are 87-percent higher this year than that of last year.
According to groceries and vendors in the city, prices of medium to finer dates are 50-60 per cent higher this year.
Meanwhile, cucumber prices shot up further as its maximum retail price was Tk 140 a kg at Shantinagar Bazar on the day.
The vegetable was priced at Tk 100-120 a kg in other city areas on the day.
Brinjal was static at its previous high of Tk 90-120 and lemon Tk 15-20 a piece, making those 'too pricy to buy' for commoners, said market experts.
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