12/07/2008 (The Daily Star) - Prices of spices increased throughout the week in the capital after the government had raised fuel prices while various edible oils were still selling at higher prices despite a lower rate fixed by the government three days earlier.

Meanwhile, in the absence of any monitoring mechanism at grocery markets, most shoppers are being cheated as the sellers have been selling palm oil to them in place of soybean oil.

Over the past week, retail prices of all sorts of spices except dry chilli witnessed a rise -- ranging between Tk 10 and 50 per kg, said market sources.

Prices of ginger and garlic increased by Tk 10 per kg. Yesterday at retail markets ginger was selling at Tk 70 to Tk 80 a kg while garlic at Tk 30 to Tk 40.

Turmeric was selling for Tk 80 to Tk 90 per kg, as opposed to Tk 60 to Tk 70 a week ago. Price of coriander was Tk 80 per kg -- Tk 20 higher than the previous week. Retail price of cumin, sold for Tk 380 to Tk 400 per kg last week, also rose by Tk 30 a kg.

Cinnamon was selling at Tk 150 to Tk 160 per kg -- a Tk 20 rise per kg since last week. Cardamom price shot up to Tk 1,150 a kg -- registering a rise of Tk 50 on each kg.

Wholesale spice dealers at city's Moulvibazar spice market said the latest price increase is an inevitable effect of rising prices of spices in international markets.

As of yesterday, retail prices of edible oils did not come down despite maximum wholesale prices set by the government three days back.

A wholesale oil trader at Moulvibazar oil market told the Daily Star that the prices of edible oils could not be lowered due to a reduced supply from the millers' end.

Soybean oil was selling at Tk 118 per litre while palm oil at Tk 104 at different wholesale markets in the city yesterday.

At retail markets, soybean oil was selling for Tk 120 to Tk 124 and palm oil Tk 105 to Tk 110.

Following a meeting on Wednesday with edible oil importers and wholesalers in Chittagong, the government had set the wholesale price of soybean oil at Tk 112 per litre and palm oil at Tk 100.