Staff Correspondent:

As the holy month of Ramadan draws near, consumers are facing a bitter reality: fruit prices are soaring, putting a significant strain on household budgets.

Both imported and locally grown fruits, staples of the Iftar meal, have become increasingly unaffordable, leaving many families struggling to maintain their traditional Ramadan observances.

Imported fruits such as apples, grapes, malta, pears, dates and pomegranates are becoming more expensive due to higher customs duties.

Traders and importers attribute the surge to recent government tariff adjustments, which have considerably raised the costs of importing fruits.

Consumers often include various fruits in their Iftar menu after daylong fasting, and due to the higher demand, traders stock a variety of juicy fruits ahead of Ramadan.

In the past few weeks, the prices of imported fruits have risen by Tk20 to 30 per kilogram at retail level, following a previous increase of Tk20 to 50 per kilogram in early January at both wholesale and retail levels.

Mohammad Rasel, a fruit trader at Mirpur 13, said, “Previously, we could sell imported apples for Tk250-280 per kg, but now the price has soared to Tk350-420. The increased duty is making it difficult for us to keep prices stable.”

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) in January raised duties on specific fresh fruits, including apples, grapes, and watermelons, from 20% to 30%.

The immediate effect of these policy changes has been a significant spike in the prices of both imported and local fruits across the country.

Traders claimed that the government’s decision to increase import duties has significantly impacted the foreign fruit market.

On Wednesday, Fuji apples were selling at Tk350 per kg, Gala apples at Tk420 per kg, Golden apples at Tk350 per kg, South African green apples at Tk350 per kg, Indian green apples at Tk320 per kg, Chinese oranges at Tk350 per kg, green oranges at Tk250 per kg, Indian pomegranates at Tk450 per kg, pears at Tk420 per kg, white pears at Tk400 per kg, and malta at Tk300 per kg at Mirpur 13 in Dhaka, said Rasel.

On 17 January, Fuji apples were sold at Tk340 per kg, Indian oranges were sold at Tk280-290 per kg, malta was sold at Tk280 per kg, Chinese oranges were sold at Tk350 per kg, pears were sold at Tk400 per kg, and white pears were sold at Tk380 per kg.

In December last week in 2024, Fuji apples were sold at Tk280, Indian oranges were sold at Tk260, Malta was sold at Tk260, Chinese oranges were sold at Tk320, and pears were sold at Tk380 per kg.

Consumers, especially those from middle- and lower-income groups, are being forced to rethink their shopping lists.

Rozina Akter said, “Every year, I buy oranges and apples for my family during Ramadan, but this time the prices are just too high. I may have to buy fewer or look for cheaper alternatives.”

Industry insiders warn that the situation could worsen in the coming weeks unless the government revisits the tariff policy or provides subsidies.

Sirajul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Fresh Fruits Importers Association, that the supply chain has already been disrupted due to higher costs and delays in shipments.

“If no measures are taken, prices could climb even further as demand peaks during the Ramadan,” he added.

Despite being a food product, foreign fruits were classified as luxury goods by the NBR in 2012.

Since then, every budget has seen an increase in VAT and duties on imported fruits. Until May 2022, imported fruits were subject to a 25% customs duty, 15% VAT, 5% advance income tax, and 4% advance trade VAT.

“Amid a dollar crisis, the NBR imposed an additional 20% regulatory duty on all foreign fruit imports in May last year, bringing the total import tax burden to 113.80%. Now, within two years, duties have increased by another 10-15%,” said Sirajul Islam.

“We have been providing the new duty rate since 9 January. As a result, the price of apples, oranges, and malta has increased by Tk16-17 per kg at the wholesale level, while grapes have gone up by Tk40-50 per kg at the wholesale level,” he said.

As Ramadan approaches, concerns over food affordability continue to dominate discussions, with many hoping for prompt government action to ease the burden on fasting families.