The price of green chillies has increased further to more than Tk 200 per kg, due to a supply shortage.
During visits to Moghbazar and Karwan Bazar kitchen markets on Saturday, raw chillies were found selling for Tk 200 to Tk 220 per kg, a sharp increase from Tk 80 to Tk 100 just around 10 days ago.
Traders attributed the surge in prices to disruption in supply due to rainfalls. They also alleged that there is no visible initiative from the government to keep the situation under control despite the rising prices.
They noted that a moderate supply shortage of green chillies is a common phenomenon of this season, which prompts the authorities to meet the consumer demands with imports.
This year, the price started to jump even a month before the Eid-ul-Azha, an occasion that traditionally sees an increase in prices. It had surged to a staggering Tk 700 per kg during this season last year.
Rakib Ahmed, a vendor at Karwan Bazar, said, "I sold green chillies at Tk 140 per kg on Thursday. Within two days, the price increased again.”
The quality of chillies has also deteriorated, as the summer chilli plants are drying out, resulting in lower yields.
A review of market data from the past five years has showed a pattern of price increases during this season due to reduced production. The country lacks rain-tolerant varieties of chillies, which eventually lead to short supply.
Generally, the authorities import the vegetable from India, with some coming from Myanmar. Amid conflicts in Myanmar, traders see increased dependence on Indian imports this year.
Imran Master, president of the association of raw material warehouse owners, has called for prompt initiative to import green chillies.
“It needs to take import initiative before the market (prices) increases further. The country usually sees a lower yield of green chillies during this season. This time, extreme heat damaged some plants earlier, and recent rains also led to decomposition in some trees,” he explained.