Garlic and ginger have become pricier further in a week, marking a 5.0-20 per cent hike per kilogram, sources at kitchen markets and groceries said.
The maximum retail price (MRP) of the imported Chinese ginger hit a record Tk 300 a kg while local and Indian 'Malayali' ginger retailed at Tk 150-180 on Thursday.
On the other hand, the imported Chinese garlic retailed at Tk 160-180 and the local variety at Tk 140-150 a kg the same day.
Experts and traders have attributed this latest price hike to an almost halt in garlic and ginger imports from China.
The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) found a 5.0-20 per cent hike in the prices of garlic and ginger in a week and 30-60 per cent in a month.
Current Chinese ginger price is above 122 per cent higher than a year ago while it is 30 per cent for imported garlic, according to the state entity.
Ali Ahad Kiron, a Lalmatia grocer in Dhaka city, said prices of the two spices have been increasing during this peak ginger and garlic harvest time.
Prices have registered a gradual hike for the past one month at Karwanbazar and Shyambazar wholesale markets, added the trader.
Narayan Chandra Saha, a Shyambazar-based trader, said they have no stocks of Chinese ginger as import stopped months ago.
The Indian ginger from Kerala state and the local variety are now in the market, he added.
Mr Saha said most of the consumers prefer Chinese ginger instead of the local variety or Malayali.
He said local ginger production is not so good which could put impacts on the market.
Malayali ginger was trading at Tk 90-105 a kg and imported garlic at Tk 100-120 depending on quality at Shyambazar, marking a maximum Tk 4.0-5.0 hike.
"But retailers, especially the grocers, charged much higher than the Shyambazar wholesale price which further raises prices at retail level," Mr Saha said.
Both Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and commerce ministry said ginger production was only 82,000 tonnes in fiscal year 2021-22 against a demand for 0.5-0.6-million tonnes.
Garlic output was 0.52-million tonnes during the same period when its demand has crossed 1.1-million tonnes.
More than 80 per cent of the demand for ginger and 40-50 per cent for garlic is met through imports.
However, farm egg prices maintained the previous high of Tk 130-135 a dozen on Thursday.
