Price of poppy seeds touches Rs 2K/kg-mark

KOLKATA: The price of Poppy seeds is pinching hard on consumers' pockets. The retail price of the spice touched Rs 2000 per kg on Monday. Last month, the price was Rs 1400 per kg.

"Based on the consumption of poppy seeds, only five per cent is cultivated in India. About 95 per cent of the poppy seeds sold in Indian markets are imported from abroad (Turkey and Indonesia). The transportation cost has shot up due to skyrocketing fuel prices," said Sanjay Dey, a wholesaler at

Posta Bazar.

The demand for poppy seeds in Bengal is 40 metric tons per month.