The price of green chilies is rapidly increasing in the markets of Pabna’s Iswardi upazila. In one leap, the price has gone up by Tk 80 per kg. One kg of green chili was sold at Tk 120 on Monday but, even a week ago, the price of one kg of green chili was only Tk 40.
Two weeks ago prices of the green chilies were even lower. At that time it was being sold at Tk 20 to 25 per kg. Thus, the local buyers are in trouble due to the unusual increase in the price of green chilies.
Farmers said that at the beginning of the season, in June-July, the price of green chilies in the local markets was not so good. A kg of green chili sold at Tk 20 to 30 only at that time. As a result, the farmers had to incur losses and they were unable to regain the cost of production.
However at that time, the storekeepers and wholesalers bought the chilies at a lower price and stockpiled them to sell later at a higher price, the farmers added.
Bipul Hossain, a chili farmer in Ladhikunda union of the upazila, said the chilies grown in Ishwardi's Padma Char would mature in a few days. At present there is no supply of locally produced green chili in Ishwardi markets. Kushtia's Bheramara and Rajshahi's Arani chilies are being sold there. The production of green chilies has been good in those areas.
However, Bipul said he does not know the reason for the sudden increase in the price of chilies. His believes that some unscrupulous middlemen are raising the price of by creating artificial crisis in the market. As a result, the price of green chili is increasing abnormally in the market.
Wholesalers and storekeepers of Ishwardi Bazar claim that green chilies are not available in the wholesale markets. Although chilies were imported before Eid-ul-Azha, chilies grown outside Ishwardi have to be bought at higher prices. Besides, chilies are not being supplied as per the market demand. Wholesalers are buying chilies at lower prices and selling it at higher prices. As a result, the price of the same has been increasing in the retail market.
Amin, a vegetable trader in Ishwardi, said it would take some more time for the green chilies produced on Ishwardi's char land to reach the market. Apart from that, there has been a shortage of supply of chilies in other parts of the country, especially in Dhaka city. Wholesalers there are buying chili at higher prices. Due to this the price of pepper is increasing, he added.
He again said that in the last one month, green chilies were being sold at Tk 30 to 40 per kg. It has increased Tk 80 to 90 on per kg in just one week. One kg of chili was sold at Tk 120 in Ishwardi market on Monday.