The price of green chilli has shot up to Tk 600 per kilogramme in the kitchen markets across the capital due to supply shortage.
According to traders, the essential item was selling at between Tk 800 and Tk 1,000 a kilogramme over the past few days in different markets across the country including in Faridpur and Sailkupa in Jhenaidah.
Traders said that the prices started to increase from mid-June in the city markets, becoming almost double at Tk 300 per kilogramme on June 25 as monsoon damaged farmland across the country.
Against the backdrop of abnormal price hike of green chilli, the government on June 25 allowed private sector businesses to import it from India.
After getting permission from the agriculture ministry, a few traders began importing from India but the import remained suspended at the land ports from June 27 due to the Eid holidays, traders said.
UNB reported that green chilli was selling at Tk 600 per kilogramme in Dhaka on Saturday.
The retailers claimed that the supply of green chilli had decreased due to rain and transport crisis because of the Eid holidays, thereby shooting up the price.
Its price also soared to Tk 600 per kg in Barishal, and consumers blamed lack of monitoring by the local administration for this.
Vegetable trader Rahmat on Jailkhana Road in the district said that the supply of green chilli was inadequate in local markets and people were not buying the item due to its exorbitant price.
