Sugar price falls in Ctg, but no impact on retails

Sugar prices fell sharply in different wholesale markets in Chittagong due to an ample supply of the sweetener following regular imports since Ramadan.
But the customers are not getting any benefit from the price fall, as the retail price of the item is still as high as it was a month ago.
Over 1.82 lakh tonnes of sugar -- both raw and refined -- have been imported through Chittagong Port in September while the country's monthly demand is around 1.25 lakh tonnes.
Around 1.48 lakh tonnes of raw sugar and 34,254 tonnes of refined sugar were imported last month, according to the data from Chittagong Customs House.
Wholesalers of different markets in Khatunganj said sugar prices came down by Tk 8 per kilogram in a month. The wholesale price of a maund of sugar was Tk 2,060 yesterday, down from Tk 2,100 on Thursday and Tk 2,400 a month ago.
But the sweetener was priced at Tk 64 to Tk 65 a kg at Karnaphuli CDA Market, Reazuddin Bazar, Kazir Dewry and different other kitchen markets in the port city.
No retailer could give any logical ground for such a high price. A shopkeeper at Karna-phuli CDA Market said they were selling the item at higher prices because they bought the item at higher rates.