Garlic price shoots up ahead of Eid

The prices of garlic, both imported and local variety, increased in last two/three days due to high demand among consumers ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, traders said.
"The prices of imported garlic from China increased by around Tk 10 to Tk 13 per kg in wholesale markets in last two/three days," Narayan Saha, a wholesaler of Shyambazar, told the FE Wednesday.
He said the prices of local variety of garlic also rose by around Tk 3 to Tk 6 per kg in the wholesale markets during the same period.    
The imported garlic was sold at prices between Tk 70 and Tk 75 per kg in the city's kitchen markets on Wednesday, which was between Tk 60 and Tk 62 two/three days back at the wholesale markets.
Local variety of garlic was also pricey and selling between Tk 64 and Tk 78 on Tuesday. The prices were Tk 62 and Tk 75 during the same period in the wholesale markets.
Traders said the local small variety of garlic is selling from Tk 2,400 to Tk 2,600 per maund Wednesday. It sold at prices between Tk 2,200 and Tk 2,300 last week.
Local medium-size garlic was selling from Tk 2,600 to Tk 2,800 per maund, which cost between Tk 2,400 and Tk 2,600.
The price of local big-size garlic was between Tk 2,800 and Tk 3,000 per maund, which sold at Tk 2,600-Tk 2,800.
A kilo of imported and local garlic was priced at between Tk 90 and Tk 100, which sold from Tk 80 to Tk 100 at retail level in the city's different kitchen markets last week.
 "The demand of both imported and local garlic generally has shot up one week before Eid-ul-Azha. It is expected to rise further," Abul Kalam Azad, a garlic importer at Shyambazar, said.
He said suddenly the price of Chinese garlic rose after a downtrend for two days in the local market. It happened mainly due to soaring demand ahead of Eid.
He said the price of Chinese garlic is between $850 and $870 per tonne now, which was between $ 650 and $ 750 per tonne a month back, depending on its types.
Mr Azad said the price of imported garlic is still higher as the Chinese exporters are stockpiling the product. The imported garlic price might not fall even after the Eid-ul-Azha, he forecast.
Garlic is mainly produced in Natore, Faridpur, Rajbari, Pabna and some other districts in the country. It is an essential spice for cooking meat.

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