Despite having enough stock, traders have increased the prices of all kinds of spices ahead of Eid-ul Azha as usual.

Both wholesalers and retailers hiked the prices of ginger, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, cumin, turmeric and coriander and the low-income groups are bearing the brunt of this spike in prices.

In absence of proper monitoring by the authorities concerned, some unscrupulous traders increase the prices of different commodities as demand rises ahead of different festivals, Nazer said. 

Talking to journalists some traders said as the prices of almost all essential commodities have gone up and so prices of spices have also increased.

Besides, the traders blamed the Russia-Ukraine war and depreciation of taka against US dollar.

Md. Enayet Ullah, president of wholesale spice traders’ association, said that the prices of spices only were adjusted with exchange rate.

Onion, an essential kitchen item, was selling at Tk 60 to 65 per kg on Saturday in the kitchen markets of the capital, which was sold at Tk 35 to 40 per kg a week ago. 

Besides, local turmeric was selling at Tk 230 to 260 per kg, cumin at Tk 450 per kg, chilli (dried) at Tk 380 to Tk400.

Cardamom was selling at Tk 2,300 to 2400 per kg which was sold at Tk 2200 per kg a week ago, cinnamon was selling at Tk450 to 500 per kg, black pepper at Tk800 per kg, clove at Tk 1000 to 1200 per kg, cashew nuts at 850 to 1,200 per kg, nutmeg at Tk900 to 1000.

Contacted, officials of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), a government market monitoring body, have acknowledged that the prices of spices have gone up recently.