Green chilli price: Five vendors fined for selling item at Tk 400 per kg

Staff Reporter :
Last few days the country has witnessed a huge price hike of green chilli, the prime staple of Bengali kitchen.
As a result, over price have impacted the lower and middle income group people forced them to leave the ingredient in use. To bring the green chili price to buying capacity to commoners, Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) has operated various drives across the country.

During drive DNCRP came to know that the traders bought per kilogram green chili by Tk 160 from wholesale market and selling at Tk 400 in retail.
DNCRP fined five traders for charging excessive price from the customers in Manikganj. The information was confirmed by DNCRP Manikgonj office assistant director Asaduzzaman Rumel.

On the other hand, as the government started importing Indian green chillies from Sunday, the prices of the kitchen staple are seeing a drastic drop in Dhaka.
On Monday, the green chillies were being sold from Tk 150 to Tk 160 per kg, a huge drop from Tk 350-400 per kg on Sunday. This influx of Indian green chillies has caused the drop in prices, according to vendors.

Wholesale pepper sellers predict further reductions in green chilli prices, as they are currently being bought at the wholesale level for Tk 110 in the local market.
With additional expenses factored in, the retail price is expected to range from Tk 120 to Tk 130, and it is anticipated to be sold in the market for Tk 140-150 per kg.
The volatility in the pepper market has led to significant price fluctuations, with some regions seeing prices go as high as Tk 1,000 per kg. For instance, green chillies were sold at Tk 600 per kg in Bagerhat, Tk 400 to Tk 600 in Pabna, and Tk 250 to Tk 350 in Bogra.

The Department of Agriculture Extension reports that 36,830 metric tonnes of green chillies have been allowed for import this year.