The demand for locally popular chili produced in Thaa atoll Kandoodhoo drops as Ramadan heads to a wind up.
With nearly two or three left of the Islamic holy month, food preparation or the culinary requirements both in the personal and commercial spaces have begun to fizzle out.
The loss in demand, coupled with its naturally shorter shelf life against the now longer hours the produce spends on shelves or isles mean that vendors and businesses have begun discarding large quantities of chilis that have wilted or gone bad.
The chili was traded between MVR 80 and MVR 90 per kilogram since last year’s Ramadan. Prices saw heavy spikes ahead of this year’s Ramadan. Local market rates just weeks ahead of this year’s Ramadan were reported as high as MVR 150 per kilogram, and a nominal range of MVR 100 to MVR 120 per kilogram.
During the first week of Ramadan, chili prices shot further up to between MVR 250 and MVR 300 per kilogram.
With the loss of demand, the price has fallen back to last year’s ceiling of MVR 80 to MVR 90 per kilogram.