Economic Reporter :
The price of beef has decreased in the city’s markets due to a lack of customers at kitchen markets in the capital, a sharp contrast to what usually is seen during this period of year.
Usually, prices of daily necessities go up in an unstable manner during Ramzan every year and the price of beef crosses the regular price.
This year, however, the price of beef remained quite stable for the last couple of weeks and did not increase even before Ramadan. Instead, the price has gone down in several kitchen markets.
On Friday, beef was being sold at Tk 580 per kg at Farmgate, Raja Bazar and Mohakhali kitchen markets.
It was also being sold at Tk 600 per kg at different shops in Nabisco, Tejkunipara.
Abdus Salam Hawladar, a butcher at Raja Bazar, said he sold meat from three cattle since the first day of Ramadan.
“I sold per kilogram of beef for Tk 580. I profited about Tk 7,000 only as there are very few customers,” he said.
Beef vendor Nijam Uddin said the price of red meat is going down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Sales are very low because a large number of people already left the capital before the lockdown to tackle spread of COVID-19 was enforced. My sale end before the Jumaa prayer on regular days, whereas I am still here today,’ said Najim Uddin.
Another beef trader at Firmgate said he used to supply meat regularly to some nearby hotels, but because of the ongoing lockdown, hotels are now closed. Sales are therefore declining day by day.
“If we slaughtered cows in the morning it would normally have been sold out by noon. But now we cannot complete our sales even after the evening,” he added.
Beef is still overly expensive for general people, according to customers.
Mohammad Motin Mia, a customer at Raza Bazar kitchen market, said he was planning to buy one kg of beef, but then decided to by only half kg due to the high price.
Jolil Ahammed, a customer at the Firmgate kitchen market, echoed Motin, saying both North and South city corporations of Dhaka need to fix a lower price for beef and it needs to be below Tk 500 per kg.
Dhaka North and South city corporations fix the price of beef every year before Ramadan. Any such announcement, however, has not come yet this year.
Meanwhile, super shop Shwapno at West Nakhalpara was selling beef at Tk 565. A customer at Shwapno said if a super shop can sell beef at this price, ordinary shops can do so as well.
“The government needs to take strong measures in this regard,’ the customer added.
