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After an unusual hike in July and subsequent return to normalcy, green-chilli prices have started to rise again, reaching Tk 250 a kg on Friday. This marks a Tk 100-to Tk 120-per-kg increase in just three days.
Onion, fish and some vegetables also showed price upticks, while egg prices declined in the past week.
A squeeze in imports, as well as a decline in local supply due to heavy rain, are the key reasons behind the surge in chilli and onion prices, said traders.
Kamal-ibne-Shahid, a vegetable vendor at Buddhijibir Dhaal in Rayer Bazar, said he bought green chilli at Tk 1120 a palla (five kgs) from Beribadh wholesale market on Friday morning, which was Tk 750 on Wednesday and Tk 600 on Monday last week.
He said onion prices also increased by Tk 5.0 to 7.0 per kg at wholesale, reflecting in the retail.
"We are selling local onion at Tk 85-90 per kg and Indian onion at Tk 70 per kg," he added.
Iqbal Hasan, a wholesaler in Dhaka's largest kitchen item wholesale hub Karwan Bazar, told the FE that chilli fields in Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Pabna, Rajshahi, Kushtia, Jamalpur and other areas have severely affected by incessant rain.
Besides, he said imports of both onion and green chilli have declined in the last week, which has further fueled up the prices.
Farm economist Prof Gazi M Jalil said the price of chilli seems to be heading towards the price levels of June-July when its cost went up to an all-time high.
He said government agencies should look into the matter immediately. Importers are also claiming that they are facing many issues, which should be removed.
He said the country produces above 0.6 million tonnes of chilli annually while also importing 0.1 million tonnes of green and dry chilli combined. But 80 per cent of chilli is produced in winter, between October and March.
He said the daily chilli supply in summer until September is hardly 500 tonnes against the demand for a minimum of 1,000 tonnes. Summer chilli production should be boosted by providing logical support to the farmers to gain better control over the market.
Meanwhile, egg prices further declined by Tk 5.0-8.0 a dozen in the past week. The government fixed the maximum retail price of eggs at Tk 144 a dozen or Tk 12 a piece two weeks ago.
Brown farm egg, however, was retailed at Tk 145-150 a dozen and white egg at Tk 140-144 a dozen on Friday.
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