Green chilli skyrockets to Tk350 as consumers hit hard by soaring vegetable prices

Prices of vegetables in Dhaka‍‍`s kitchen markets have once again spiralled out of control, with green chillies leading the surge, as well as onions, leaving consumers struggling.

Visits today (3 October) to Hatirpul, Karwan Bazar and New Market revealed widespread price hikes across nearly all vegetables, reports The Business Standard. 

Green chilli, which cost Tk100–Tk120 per kg just a week ago, is now being sold at Tk350, marking a jump of more than Tk200 in a week.  

Prices of onions have also gone up: local onions rose from Tk75 to Tk80 per kg, while hybrid onions increased from Tk70 to Tk75.

A frustrated shopper at Hatirpul market said, "Does every rainfall mean prices must rise? We can barely afford vegetables, fish and chicken now. Maybe it is better to just buy eggs and go home."

Vegetable trader Tariq attributed the price surge to "continuous rain and supply disruptions due to Puja festivities."

Long eggplants are selling at Tk100–Tk120, round eggplants Tk140–Tk200 depending on quality, okra and bitter gourd Tk100–Tk120, yardlong beans Tk100–Tk120, carrots Tk120–Tk140 and beans Tk220–Tk250.  

Other common vegetables, such as pointed gourd, spine gourd, snake gourd, bottle gourd and cucumber are priced between Tk80 and Tk100. Almost no vegetable is available below Tk70.

Protein

Meat and fish also remain costly, with beef selling at Tk750 per kg, mutton at Tk1,100, while broiler costs Tk180 and Sonali chicken is priced between Tk300–Tk350. 

Medium-sized rui and katla cost Tk400–Tk450, tilapia Tk250–Tk280, tengra Tk400–Tk560 and pabda Tk450.

Eggs have seen a small relief, falling by Tk5 to Tk135 per dozen.

Spices, rice and legumes

Spice prices continue to rise as well. While raisins, dried plums, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon prices remain unchanged, cumin has climbed from Tk650 to Tk700 per kg, black pepper from Tk1,500 to Tk1,700, local ginger from Tk140 to Tk150 and Chinese ginger from Tk160 to Tk170.

Local garlic has dropped slightly from Tk110 to Tk100, but consumers said a small drop in price brings no real relief.

Rice prices are unstable too. The price of miniket rice has dipped slightly from Tk78–Tk80 to Tk76–Tk77 per kg, while polao rice has fallen from Tk125–Tk130 to Tk120.  

Yet consumers said the relief is offset by high legume prices. Local red lentils dropped to Tk150 per kg, but mung beans jumped to Tk160. Prices of grass pea and chickpeas also saw slight drops, though their impact on the market has been negligible.