A total of 56 tons of raw chili arrived from India at the Sonamasjid land port in Chapainawabganj over the past two days.
Trucks carrying the chili reached the port on Saturday and Sunday.
Mainul Islam, Port Manager of Sonamasjid Panama Port Link Limited, said, “After a long time, raw chili is being imported from India through the port. After 30 tons on Saturday, another 26 tons arrived in five trucks by 5:00 PM on Sunday. Very soon, this chili will be distributed across various districts of the country. We hope this will help reduce market prices.”
Meanwhile, news of the chili import has brought some relief to the local market. However, significant price differences were observed between the wholesale and retail markets in Sadarghat, Chapainawabganj town.
Wholesale and retail traders at the Kacha Bazar and New Market said that while prices had been high over the past week, the supply increase on Sunday slightly eased the pressure, leading to a modest drop in prices.
Wholesale trader A. Alim from Sadarghat Kacha Bazar said, “Raw chili was sold at Tk 220 per kg in wholesale and between Tk 240 and 260 in retail. On Saturday, wholesale prices ranged from Tk 260 to 280, while retail prices were Tk 300 to 320. The day before, wholesale was 280–300 and retail sold at 320–350.”
Traders also noted that continuous rainfall had damaged chili crops, reducing supply. Additionally, imports had been halted during the Durga Puja holidays, creating a market shortage.
A week ago, chili sold atTk110–120 per kg wholesale andTk150–200 per kg retail; now, prices have almost doubled within a week.
