Ginger price shoots up to all time high in Qatar

The price sticker of ginger at Safari Mall limiting the sale of ginger to a maximum of half kilo per customer

By Joseph VargheseStaff Reporter

Ginger has all on a sudden become a rare commodity in the hypermarkets and neighbourhood supermarkets in the country with its price reaching to the highest level in the recent years.

One kilo ginger was trading at QR 18 or more at many of the hypermarkets and supermarkets yesterday while the same was sold at QR 10 – 12 earlier. Some of the shops have also enforced a limit on the quantity that one can purchase at a time.

Safari Mall was selling ginger at QR 18 yesterday and one person was allowed to buy maximum of half kilo. One of the officials of the Mall said this has been going on for a few days as the supply of ginger was very limited in the market.

Mustafa, vegetables supervisor at Safari Mall said "We have regulated the sale of ginger to half a kilo per person to make sure that everyone gets this spice for their daily needs. The prices have been going up for a few weeks as the import from India has almost stopped. Now we are fully dependent on the import from China."

He continued "It seems that there has been low yield in the product in the countries such as India due to excess rain and other adverse climatic conditions. This has affected the export of ginger from these countries resulting in shortage of supply in the local market. As soon as the product is available in more quantity, the prices are bound to go back to the earlier levels."

One of the customers at the mall said that it was really surprising to see such a high price for ginger. "Ginger is an integral ingredient of many of the food items of our daily meals and one of the prominent taste makers of many of our delicacies. Though they have regulated the sale by half a kilo, I will not be able to buy the same at this price. I will buy a smaller amount and will wait for the price to come down."