The price of locally grown garlic in Hili has dropped by BDT 30 per kilogram within a week, according to traders. They say the price drop is mainly due to increased supply and lower consumer demand.

A visit to Hili market on Saturday (June 21) showed that garlic is currently selling at BDT 80 to 110 per kg, compared to BDT 110 to 140 just a week ago.

Abul Hasnat, a garlic vendor at the market, said, “It’s peak season for local garlic right now. Supply has increased from Natore and other parts of the country. Also, many traders had stockpiled garlic expecting higher prices, but after tighter monitoring by authorities and news of garlic imports from India, they’ve started releasing their stock into the market.”

He added that wholesale prices were around BDT 4,000 per maund (1 maund = 37.32 kg) a few days ago, but have now dropped to between BDT 3,000 and 3,600.