Green chilli price falling as 339 tn arrives

Increasing supply through imports, and conducting drives by the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection have driven down the green chilli price from Tk600 per kg to Tk280-300 at the retail level in a span of two days.

However, chilli was sold at Tk350 per kg in a number of markets in Dhaka yesterday, said sources.

About 339 tonnes of green chilli has arrived in the country till 5pm yesterday since the government allowed its import on 25 June. So far traders have taken the government's approval for importing 48,380 tonnes of green chilli, said sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension.

The wholesale price of green chilli fell to Tk160-180 per kg due to the government drives in Karwanbazar on Monday, but it rose to Tk200-220 the next day. However, the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection said the supply of pepper was normal across the country.

Yesterday, the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection conducted drives in 41 districts, and fined 118 businesses around Tk6.21 lakh for not displaying a price chart and overcharging customers. On the previous day, the directorate fined 148 traders around Tk3.39 lakh.

Wholesale and retail traders in Karwan Bazar, Gulshan kitchen market, Banani Bazar, Uttara, Badda, Mohakhali, Palashi, Hatirpool Bazar, and New Market areas of Dhaka said there was sufficient supply of green chilli, and its price will fall further with the increase of its supply.

Green chilli was sold at Tk70-75 per 250 gram in Tejgaon, Moghbazar, Dilu Road, and Segunbagicha areas in Dhaka yesterday, and the price was a little lower if someone bought 1 kg of pepper at once.

Before Eid-ul-Azha, the price of green chilli suddenly started to rise all over the country. It jumped from Tk140-150 to Tk600 per kg in Dhaka, while it reached Tk1,000 outside Dhaka.

Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension said the production of chilli was affected by the summer heatwave. Besides, when heavy rains started before Eid-ul-Azha, many chilli fields were ruined, and many farmers failed to harvest their crops, leading to a shortage of supply.

To deal with the shortage, the import of green chilli was allowed on 25 June before Eid-ul-Azha. However, immediately after that, the import and export activities in the country were halted during a five-day holiday. Unscrupulous traders exploited the situation, and hiked the price of chilli.

AHM Safikuzzaman, director general of Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection, told TBS, "The green chilli market is becoming normal quickly due to imports and monitoring. Soon its price will drop further."