TDS Desk:

The prices of vegetable have gone up abnormally ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festivals of the Muslims due to lack of monitoring by the authorities concerned. Consequently, consumers suffer immensely.

The prices of green chillies and cucumbers have surged by 50 percent in less than a single day due to increased demand for Eid-ul-Azha on the plea of declining supply, according to traders.

On Saturday (15 June) morning, the price of green chillies reached Tk320 per kg in various retail markets, up from Tk180-200 on Friday.

Similarly, cucumber prices rose to Tk140 per kg from Tk80 the previous day.

Traders attributed this sharp price increase to a significant decline in supply during the Eid-ul-Azha holidays, and also to the damages caused by Cyclone Remal and flash floods in the Sylhet region.

During a spot visit to different markets including Sirajganj Boro Bazar and Bazar Station kitchen market, The Daily Sky correspondent found that, retail traders were realizing additional prices of different goods including chillies, gherkin ginger, garlic, and onion on the pretext of low supply during the holidays of Eid-ul-Azha.

Ramzan Ali, a trader of Bazar Station in Sirajganj town said, “We are collecting the goods with high prices due to short supply. As a result, we are being forced to realize additional prices against each goods.”

On the other hand, another vendor said that the supply of vegetables has become insufficient to meet demand, leading wholesalers to hike prices overnight.

During the last Eid-ul-Adha, the price of green chillies hit a record high of Tk800-1,000 per kg.

Meanwhile, prices of spices have also soared, exacerbating the existing upward trend. Retailers attribute the hike to higher wholesale prices, while wholesalers blame rising dollar prices and transportation costs.

Year-on-year data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) show that prices of most spices have increased by 20% to 76% compared to last year.

The price hike affects cinnamon, cumin, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, black pepper, ginger, garlic, and onion, with prices rising by Tk20 to Tk1,200 per kg for both retail and wholesale purchases.