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Green chilli, egg, veg prices soar to record highs

FE REPORT | Sunday, 23 June 2024



The prices of green chilli, potatoes, eggs and some vegetables have soared to record highs in a week, intensifying woes of commoner people.
Green chilli price has hovered between Tk 280 and Tk 400 a kg in the last seven days. It retailed at Tk 280-300 a kg on Saturday.
The potato price has soared to Tk 65-70 a kg from Tk 55-60 a kg earlier.
The price of cucumber has increased to Tk 140-160 a kg, tomato to Tk 130-150 and brinjal to Tk 80-110 in the city kitchen markets, marking a 50-60-percent hike in the last seven days.
Traders attributed the hike in the chilli prices to a decreased supply followed by the post-Eid supply disruption as well as heavy rain that caused damage to the green chilli fields in its hubs.


Shahjada Ali, a trader at Rayerbazar in the capital, said chilies are now priced at Tk 1,100-1,200 per palla (5.0 kgs) in Karwan Bazar and Shyambazar wholesale markets.
"Its price even reached Tk 1,500 a palla on June 18 which was 750-800 before the Eid day (June 17)," he added.
He further said the post-Eid supply disruption played a major role in its price hike.
Mohammad Alam, a wholesale trader at Karwan Bazar, said the limited inflow of green chilli into Dhaka during the holy Eid-ul-Azha led to its price spiral.
Heavy rain in many districts also worsened its supply condition, he mentioned.
The wholesaler also said the same thing happened in case with cucumbers, carrots, tomato, brinjal, onion, potatoes and other produce.
However, brinjal was retailed at Tk 85-110 a kg, tomato at Tk 120-150 and cucumber at Tk 140-160 a kg on Saturday.
Besides, pointed gourd, okra, sponge gourd, ridge gourd and snake gourd maintained previous prices of Tk 60-70 a kg.
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