The prices of all varieties of spices in Khulna retail markets are on the ‘rollercoaster ride’, increasing everyday ahead Eid-ul-Azha just a couple of days away. Taking advantage of soaring demands, prices of cinnamon, cumin, clove, cardamom, black pepper (gol morich) and chili have shot up at least Tk 50-200 per kilogram while prices of coriander, zinger, garlic, onion, soya bean oil and mustered oil increased by Tk 10-15 per kg within a week, sources in different city markets said.
These spices are heavily used in this particular Eid festival when the Muslim communities sacrifice animals and consume their meats in large quantity. Prices of cumin cloves, cardamom, black peeper and cinnamon have been increased by Tk 40, Tk 100, Tk 150, Tk 50 respectively compared to last week. The prices of onion, garlic and ginger increased by Tk 10 to Tk 20 a kg in Khulna’s retail markets. The local onion was selling at Tk 70 to Tk 80 a kg while the imported onion was selling at Tk 60 to Tk 65 a kg on Monday.
The local garlic and imported garlic was selling at Tk 80 a kg and Tk 100 a kg respectively at the same time ginger was retailing at Tk 100 a kg to Tk 120 a kg on the day. Rejbina Khanam, a housewife of Zinnapara area, was shocked at the price of essential spices when she went to a nearby grocer for Eid-shopping. “Such a price hike is just going beyond the limit we can afford,” she complained. Eid is supposed to be a chance to cheer and celebrate but turning as nightmare, thanks to the soaring price hike, Rejbina said out of frustration.
Sanaullah Khokon, a grocery shop owner at Boro-bazaar in Khulna city said the wholesalers increased the prices of spice by Tk 50 to Tk 150 per kg compared with the last week. “We have nothing to do with the price hike as we have bought the goods at high rate,” Sanaullahl added. While wholesalers claimed prices are rising, mainly due to the production shortage in India, a major producing nation for spices that Bangladesh heavily depends on.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Khulna district unit coordinator Advocate Enayet Ali said lack of monitoring over the markets responsible for the price hike of essentials. “It is a common thing that the spice prices go straight-up before Eid-ul-Azha every year,” Enayet said, adding short supply was not the reason.  Khulna district marketing officer Abdus Salam Tarafder said that they have little to do to check the price hike of essential commodities. “We could do nothing during the last Ramzan despite our frantic effort to keep the prices stable,” Salam admitted. “We can hold meeting with the local businessmen and tell them not to increase prices without a logical cause, but it has no impact on the markets,” Salam Tarafder added.