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Chilli price turns hot
Vientiane consumers are wondering why fresh chillies on sale in the capital are now more expensive than beef and pork per kilogramme.
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| Vientiane shoppers are complaining about the high price of chillies. |
“I never imagined I would see chillies on sale for 50,000 kip,” said a noodle shop owner in Nongduang village, Sikhottabong district, pointing out that beef in Vientiane markets is selling for 48,000 kip per kg while pork is on sale for 30,000 kip per kg.
She said she was now using only dried chillies in an effort to keep the price of her noodle soup stable. She believed any price increase would hurt her customers, most of whom are low income earners.
Eateries selling papaya salad in Vientiane are also feeling the heat, as chillies are a major ingredient of the popular dish. Some cooks have stop using fresh chillies and are substituting dried ones, while others have put up their prices so they can continue to make a profit.
A retail vendor who sells chillies and vegetables at her house in Nongduang village said she buys them at Thongkhankham market and has had to raise her prices in line with rising wholesale prices.
“The price of chillies reached 100,000 kip per kg over the New Year because there was a shortage of supply,” she said. However, the price has now dropped to 50,000 to 60,000 kip per kg depending on quality.
But despite the post-New Year price decrease, people are still complaining because chillies are a major ingredient in nearly every dish.
Chillies enjoy great popularity partly because people believe they stimulate the appetite. Some people challenge their friends to put the same number of chillies in their papaya salad as their age.
Informal investigations by Vientiane Times show that the higher price is not due to increasing production costs but rather to a shortage in market supply.
The price increase is a seasonal occurrence and is expected to drop to the normal level over the next few months. If the price stayed high it would lead more people to grow chillies for market sale, which in turn would lower the price.
Laos also imports some chillies from Thailand, where recent flooding has raised prices.
In general, vegetable prices in Vientiane markets are stable because the warm weather is ensuring a continuous supply. The price of rice is also stable because of sufficient supply.
vientiane times
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