Chittagong commodity prices go high

Both the wholesale and retail markets of different commodities in Chittagong have become volatile with price hike of the items despite enough stocks.
Traders termed the price hike as 'natural' since demand for the items increased remarkably in the last couple of weeks when traders from different parts of the country started stockpiling the items targeting the upcoming Shab-e-Barat and Ramadan.
A good quantity of commodities like gram, lentil, dun pea and sugar was imported in the last three months till June, said officials of Chittagong Customs House and Khatunganj Wholesale Market.
Retail prices of all these commodities rose by Tk 2 to Tk 12 per kilogramme at the kitchen markets in the last two weeks. Retailers blamed the wholesalers for such a price hike.
The retail price of good quality Australian gram, widely used as an Iftar item during Ramadan, reached Tk 48 a kg on Monday, while the price was Tk 40 last week.
The wholesale price of the same item increased by Tk 150 per maund (around 37 kg) at the Khatunganj market in the last 20 days, while it was selling at Tk 1,500 a maund yesterday against the price of Tk 1,480 on Tuesday and Tk 1,350-Tk 1,370 three weeks ago.
Absar, a retailer of Karnaphuli CDA Market, said he bought Australian gram at Tk 1,370 per maund from Khatunganj on July 8, while it was selling at Tk 1,500 in the same market yesterday.
The retailers were found selling good quality Indian lentil at Tk 112 to Tk 115 per kg against its earlier price of Tk 110. Retail price of Nepalese lentil rose to Tk 100-Tk 102 per kg from Tk 90.
Ram Prashad, a retailer of Reazuddin Bazar, said: “We are forced to sell lentil at higher prices as the wholesale price of lentil rose by Tk 10 a kg in Khatunganj.”
The wholesale price of lentil imported from Nepal went up by Tk 300-Tk 350 within two weeks and reached Tk 3,350 per maund on Tuesday from Tk 3,000 earlier.
Different qualities of lentil were found selling within the range of Tk 2,900 to Tk 2,980 per maund yesterday at the Khatunganj wholesale market, while the price was Tk 2,800-Tk 2,850 on July 22.
Price of sugar also rose by Tk 2 per kg at the kitchen markets in the last four days. Indian sugar was selling at Tk 40-Tk 41 in the last two days against Tk 38 four days ago, while fine quality sugar was selling at Tk 42 against Tk 40 earlier.
The wholesale price of sugar increased by Tk 95 a maund in a week and reached Tk 1,470 on Wednesday, while the price was Tk 1,435 on Monday and Tk 1,375 on July 22.
Retailers were selling dun pea at Tk 26 to Tk 27 yesterday against its earlier price of Tk 22. The price of dun pea increased by Tk 4 per kg to Tk 23 within a week at the Khatunganj wholesale market.
The Chittagong Customs House officials said a total of 39,427.43 tonnes of gram, 28,103.43 tonnes of lentil, 319,418 tonnes of raw sugar and 114,820.70 tonnes of dun pea were imported through Chittagong Port in the last three months till June this year. And the quantity of import is also higher than that of last year.
During the same period last year, a total of 32,593 tonnes of gram, 14,605 tonnes of lentil, 203,226 tonnes of raw sugar and 75,913 tonnes of dun pea were imported through the port, they said.