Jumbangla Desk: The import of green pepper continues through Dinajpur Hili land port. As the supply increases, green chillies are currently being sold wholesale at Tk 180 per kg. However, retail traders are selling pepper bought at 180 taka for 230 to 240 taka.

After speaking with the traders and buyers of Hili land port on Thursday night, it is known that after the 6-day closure of the Durga Puja holiday, import-export has started on Tuesday, October 15. In 3 days from Tuesday to Thursday, 530 metric tons of raw chillies were imported from India. The prices of these green chillies have started to decrease due to importation. The price of imported pepper went up by Tk 300 per kg during the Puja holidays. A kg of desi chilli was sold at Tk 400.

It can be seen from Hili land port that the raw chilli imported through the port on Wednesday was sold at the price of Tk 200 to Tk 220 per kg. Yesterday, Thursday, the price was reduced and sold at the rate of Tk 180 per kg.

However, importer traders are expecting that the retail price of chilli sold in Heli market on Friday will decrease a little more. Traders say that retail raw chillies were sold at 230 to 240 taka in Hili market on Thursday. Which was sold two days ago last Tuesday at the rate of 250 to 260 taka per kg.

Syed Hossain, a wholesale trader of Hili land port, said, 'Due to the increased price of local chillies, I have come here to buy imported chillies from Sirajganj. After the closure of Durga Puja, the prices of green chillies have come down as imports have started.

He said, last day on Wednesday, I bought different types for 200 to 220 taka. On Thursday, it fell to Tk 180. He expects that the price will decrease some more on Friday.

Zahid Hossain, an importer of raw chillies at Hili land port, said, 'The areas of the country used to produce chillies. In the past there has been some damage to the pepper plants due to excessive heat. After that it started to be normal but due to heavy rains and floods the pepper crop was destroyed. This creates a shortage in the market and prices start to rise. We started importing from India to control prices and keep supply normal.

Faiz Uddin, a seller of raw chillies in Heli Bazar, said that the supply in the market was low for so long. Again, the price of imported pepper went up due to low availability in the market. Now that imports have started, prices have started to come down. Today we are selling at 230 to 240 taka per kg. But domestic raw pepper is not in the market.

Sohrab Hossain Mallik Pratap, public relations officer of Hili Land Port Panama Port, said that the import of green chillies has started from Tuesday, October 15, after the import activities were stopped for 6 consecutive days due to Durga Puja. 530 metric tons of green chillies were imported in 3 days from Tuesday to Thursday afternoon. As of Thursday evening, the truckload of imported green chilies entered Panama Port through Hili land port. Imports continue. Since it is a raw product, quick clearance is being arranged.-Bass