Chilling Chilli

Green chilli prices have surged across the country after heavy monsoon rains damaged crops and disrupted supplies, creating a wide gap between farm gate and retail prices. While farmers are selling chillies for Tk 100-150 per kg, consumers in Dhaka are paying Tk 350-400 per kilogram.

Farmers in major chilli-producing districts said incessant rainfall submerged fields, rotted plants and sharply reduced yields, leaving them with little produce to sell despite the sharp rise in prices.

Traders also reported a steep fall in market arrivals, with wholesale markets receiving far less produce than usual.

At Dhaka's Karwan Bazar, traders said daily arrivals have dropped to just four or five truckloads from the usual 10-12, driving up both wholesale and retail prices. According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), green chilli prices have increased by more than 218 percent over the past month.

Although Bangladesh produces around 750,000 tonnes of green chillies annually against domestic demand of 550,000-600,000 tonnes, the market typically becomes volatile during July and August when seasonal production declines.

Industry insiders said this year's crisis was aggravated by delays in allowing imports, which are usually permitted during the lean season. The government approved private-sector imports on Sunday after retail prices crossed Tk 400 per kilogram.

Despite the supply shortage, Md Obaidur Rahman Mondal, director of the Field Wing at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), described the current price as "abnormal", saying excessive rainfall severely disrupts chilli cultivation during the monsoon.

He said the government has decided to introduce special measures to ensure year-round production of green chillies and tomatoes.

The DAE has submitted a proposal to expand off-season cultivation from next year. Under the plan, around 10 million specially designed cultivation sacks will be distributed to farmers under an incentive programme. Seedlings will be planted in the sacks from February, and the design will allow excess rainwater to drain quickly, protecting plants from waterlogging.

The initiative will also promote polymer mulching, under which polythene sheets are spread over the soil to reduce waterlogging and improve moisture management.

Obaidur Rahman said the DAE also plans to bring green chilli and tomato cultivation to about 400 existing poly-net houses to ensure production continues even during the rainy season.

"If we can grow green chillies throughout the monsoon and reduce our dependence on imports, we will not face this kind of seasonal price crisis again," he said.

He expressed hope that the combined measures would help stabilise supplies, reduce import dependence and prevent recurring seasonal price spikes in the coming years.