DHAKA, Bangladesh, Nov 25 (BSS)- With the Eid shopping gaining momentum in the city, spices shops are witnessing huge rushes and sales ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Azha on November 28.

Not only in groceries, spices are on the sale on footpaths,and small and big wholesale and retail markets.

Traders in Moulavibazar in Dhaka and Khatunganj in Chittagong imported spices worth Taka 200 crore in last four months prior to the Eid-ul-Azha, an occasion of sacrificing animals.

It was found in Moulavibazar wholesale market in the city that the traders are very much busy selling spices to the retailers.

Traders in both retail and wholesale markets said there is no dearth in the supply of spices. They have huge stocks of different types of spices.

Most of the spices have been imported from Pakistan. Though
the country earlier used to import spices from Vietnam, Guatemala
and Madagascar, it has now become depended on Pakistan, traders
said.

This year, the markets are flooded with low quality kismis,
pesta, labonga, elach, and jira. The Pakistani kismis and pesta
are of low standard as those were collected from trees before
getting matured. Those are also small in size, the traders said.

In Moulavibazar wholesale market, the price of jira is Taka
290 to 300 per kilogram, elach Taka 1400 to 1600, labonga Taka
650, daruchini Taka 120, golmorich Taka 320, pesta Taka 1600 to
1700, and joifal Taka 440.

But there are wide gaps between the prices in wholesale and
retail markets. Pesta is being sold at footpath shops in Gulistan
at Taka 2200 per kilogram, though the rate is Taka 1500 to 1600
in the wholesale market. The prices of other spices also vary
between the wholesale and retail markets by Taka 500 to 600.

Last year, the price of jira was Taka 260 per kilogram,
Labonga Taka 480, elach Taka 800 to 900 and pesta Taka 800 to
900.

Moulavibazar wholesaler Nayan Mian of Babul Store said the
traders of Dhaka and Chittagong imported spices worth Taka 200
crore this year. As the supply is adequate, there was no notable
increase in the prices of spices, he added.