Staff Correspondent:

The price of green chilli has spiked as continuous rainfall has disrupted supply. Within a few weeks, the retail price has nearly doubled.

Green chili was being sold at between Tk 300 and Tk 360 per kilogram in Dhaka markets on Sunday morning.

Traders said that several districts have experienced lower production due to persistent rain and flooding, with many chilli plants damaged, leading to reduced supply in the market.

This morning, green chilli was sold at up to 360 per kilogram in Mohammadpur Krishi Market and Town Hall retail market. Just a week ago, prices ranged from Tk 180 to Tk 220 per kilogram, with some markets offering slightly lower rates.

At the Hajj Camp market near the airport, 250 grams of green chilli could not be purchased for less than Tk 80, leading to frequent altercations between buyers and sellers.

A visit to different markets in the capital city revealed price variations depending on the variety of chilli and the market location. In the wholesale market, prices ranged from Tk 180 to Tk 240 per kilogram, compared with Tk 60 to Tk 100 only a few weeks earlier.

Most households purchase between 250 and 500 grams at a time, meaning that 250 grams of green chilli is now selling at Tk 70–80 in retail outlets across the capital. The prices are even higher at neighbourhood shops and at vendors selling by van.

In contrast, prices have started to decline slightly today at Karwan Bazar. Generally, wholesale commodity prices at Karwan Bazar are somewhat lower than in other city markets.

Speaking about this, Korom Ali, a wholesaler at Karwan Bazar, explained, “For the past week prices (of green chili) have been high. Previously, we bought at Tk 120–160 per kilogram, but recently it went up to Tk 180–200, and yesterday it even reached Tk 240–280. Since yesterday, however, the supply of local chillies has improved somewhat, so prices are expected to fall slightly from on Monday.”

Sohel Rana, a vegetable trader at Mohammadpur Krishi Market, stated, “on Saturday we bought 5 kg at Tk 1,200 from Karwan Bazar. Including transport and other costs, we are now selling at Tk 300–320 per kilogram.”

A trader at Mohammadpur Town Hall Market, Nuruzzaman Babu, said that districts like Bogura, Jashore, Kushtia and Rangpur normally supply the bulk of green chillies during this season. But excessive rainfall has reduced production in many areas, resulting in lower availability. That is why the price has shot up.

Vendors also pointed out that the supply shortage, caused mainly by heavy rain, has pushed up prices. They also noted that wholesalers and traders have taken advantage of the situation by charging higher rates, collectively driving prices to rise considerably.