Spice prices keep soaring

Prices of spices have gone up on rising demand as Eid-ul-Azha, one of the two main religious festivals of the Muslims, is knocking at the door. At the kitchen markets in Dhaka City, including New Market, Mohammadpur’s two main markets, Fakirapool, Mohakhali and Mugda, on Friday, spices were selling at prices much higher than those in other times. Cardamom, clove, cinnamon, cumin seed, pepper, ginger, dried chilli, turmeric and garlic got pricier while the price of onion also remained higher. Retailers alleged that wholesalers raised prices of most of the spices exploiting the increased demand before the Eid. According to traders, cardamom imported from India’s Kerala and Tamil Nadu is now selling at Tk 1,500-1,600 a kg against Tk 1,400-1,500 a month before. Guatemala cardamom is selling at Tk 1,000-1,300 per kg against Tk 900-1,200, clove at Tk 1,250-1,500 against Tk 1,100-1,400, and cinnamon at Tk 275-310 against Tk 260-300. The current prices of per kg pepper range from Tk 650 to 800, cumin seed from Tk 300 to 450, local ginger from Tk 200 to 220 and imported ginger from Tk 250 to 270. Imported garlic is selling at Tk 80-90, local garlic at Tk 90-100, powdered turmeric at Tk 200-220, and dried chilli at Tk 150-220, The prices of per kg onion range from Tk 35 to 40, per litre soybean oil from Tk 80 to 90 and palm oil from Tk 70 to75, according to bdnews24.com.