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Ginger, garlic prices up Ahead of Eid, spices get dearer

Md Fazlur Rahman
Prices of garlic, ginger and onion have shot up in city kitchen markets due to increased demand from consumers ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
Prices of locally produced garlic soared by 38 percent in last one week and the imported variety by 21.43 percent, according to Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the state-run commodity marketing agency.
Grocers yesterday were selling the local variety of garlic at Tk 90 per kg and imported variety at Tk 95 a kg, while a superstore sold the two varieties at Tk 108 and Tk 95 a kg.
A month ago, local garlic sold between Tk 60 and Tk 70 per kg.
Ginger has also seen a sharp price hike in last one week although the TCB data showed its prices dropped by 2.5 percent. A grocer in Kazipara, Mirpur was selling the spice at Tk 240 a kg.
He bought the product from Kachukhet wholesale market atTk 800 per five-kg three days ago. The price soared to Tk 950 on Thursday, said the grocer.
Just around 200 metres away at Kazipara kitchen market, another store owner was selling ginger at Tk 180 a kg although he had bought it from the same wholesale market.
The superstore was selling the local variety of ginger at Tk 192 a kg and imported variety atTk 370, said a salesman.
The wholesale price of onion has soared byTk 100 per maund in last one month, said Aminul Islam, a wholesaler in Pabna and Karwan Bazar, Dhaka.
Yesterday, local variety of onion sold at the wholesale price of Tk 35 a kg in Pabna and Tk 38 in Karwan Bazar.
"The prices of onion go up ahead of Eid and fall again after the festival," he told The Daily Star over the phone.
The seasonal hike in wholesale rates affected the retail prices of onion.
A grocer in Kazipara sold the local variety of onion at Tk 42 a kg and Indian variety at Tk 38, while a chain retail outlet sold the varieties at Tk 45 and Tk 40 a kg.
In a recent meeting at the commerce ministry, importers and wholesalers of spices said the prices of spices, except for ginger, would not soar ahead of the Eid.
But in fact the prices of ginger have increased by 56 percent in last one year, according to TCB data.
The prices of bay leaves,
cloves and plums have gone up in recent weeks in expectation of the spike in demand for the key spices required for cooking meat.
Cinnamon retailed between Tk 270 and Tk 300 although its wholesale price ranges between Tk 230 and Tk 250.
Depending on quality, cardamom sold at Tk 1,100 to Tk 1,600 a kg at retail markets against the wholesale prices of between Tk 900 and Tk 1,300.
Wholesalers sold clove at between Tk 1,150 and Tk 1,300 a kg while retailers at between Tk 1,300 and Tk 1,500.
Cumin sold atTk 225 to Tk 240 a kg in the wholesale markets, while its retail prices wereTk 300 to Tk 400. However, the Iranian variety sold at Tk 500 a kg.
Plum was selling at Tk 320 to Tk 330 a kg which was about Tk 300 a month ago. The price of nutmeg was Tk 800 to Tk 1,000 a kg.