Green coconut price skyrockets

Many traders have doubled the green coconut price in the capital and elsewhere in the country, cashing in on the dengue crisis.

They are doing a brisk trade of green coconuts, which are essential for dengue patients, buyers alleged.

They also alleged that a green coconut is being sold at Tk 150 to 200 – which wholesale price is Tk 70 to 80.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection (DNCRP) has launched regular market surveillance to control the green coconut market.

The DNCRP has announced that they will monitor the green coconut market to find out the reasons for the skyrocketing prices of green coconuts.

DNCRP teams will start monitoring the market of green coconuts today. They will check licence and TIN certificates of green coconut traders.

The decision was announced in a meeting with wholesale and retail traders of green coconuts on Monday.

The meeting was held in the DNCRP conference room on Monday to raise awareness about the purchase and sale of green coconuts at reasonable prices.

The meeting was presided over by DNCRP Director General AHM Safiuzzaman.

To this end, the DNCRP is conducting campaign across the country. DNCRP has instructed its field-level officials to continue strict monitoring.

Shafiquzzaman said the green coconut price is skyrocketing at wholesale and retail levels as none keeps any voucher or sales receipt.

"We have already started working across the country. As a result, green coconut price has started to decrease," he added. He said that cashing in on the dengue outbreak the green coconut price has suddenly doubled. The unethical profiteering is not acceptable.

The DNCRP DG further said coconut traders must keep the receipts in the collection. If anyone caught in the raid, they will be fined and given punishment.

Some traders have already been fined in some places of the country for selling green coconuts at very high prices.

Traders are being asked to sell green coconuts at right prices and keep vouchers, he added.

Wholesale traders complained that retail green coconut traders are making extra profit by taking advantage of the dengue outbreak.

Wholesalers claimed that due to the dengue outbreak, the demand for green coconuts has increased and due to low supply, its price has also increased.

Retailers said they buy coconuts of different sizes from wholesale markets. They bought good quality green coconuts in the last two months at Tk 80 per piece. Now, they are buying at Tk 120 to 140 per piece.

“We sell a green coconut at Tk 150 to Tk 180. This gives us a maximum profit of Tk 10-15 from a green coconut,” a retailer said.