Staff Reporter :
After the excessive increase of price of chicken in last week, this week it became little cheap as about Tk 15 were decreased per kg of boiler chicken and is being sold at Tk 180-185 while Sonali chicken’s (Popularly known as Pakistani Cock) price lessen about Tk 60 and being sold at Tk 260-280. On the other hand, almost all kind of vegetables price remain stable and few vegetables are showing upper trend and these are selling at 20% to 30% higher prices based on quality this year compared to that of the previous year. “We’re now in the middle of winter. The prices of key vegetables should have gone down by the time, but the prices are on fire,” said Basir Ahmed, a businessman. After visiting various kitchen markets, it was found that the retailers were selling popular vegetables at Tk40 to Tk70 per kg claiming that there was a short supply in major wholesale markets. But the wholesalers claimed that the retailers are charging higher prices for vegetables for no reason.
One piece of bottle gourd was selling at Tk60 at Karwan Bazar, while the same size was selling at Tk70 to Tk75 at Gulshan and Hatirpool markets. Cauliflower, broccoli and cabbages were selling at Tk40 to Tk60 per piece based on its size and quality. Good quality bean was selling at Tk80 per kg, while long bean at Tk90 to Tk100 per kg, long brinjal at Tk60 to Tk70 per kg, eggplant at Tk70 to Tk80 per kg, pumpkin at Tk50 per kg, bean seed at Tk100 per kg, papaya at Tk40 per kg, green chilli at Tk80 to Tk100 per kg, potato (new) at Tk30 to Tk40, the local variety of newly-harvested potato at Tk45 to 50 per kg,
carrot at Tk60 to Tk80 per kg based on sizes and quality, okra at Tk80 per kg, ash-guard at Tk60 to Tk70 per piece, tomato at Tk60 to Tk70.
Leafy vegetables, such as spinach, were selling at Tk15 to Tk20 per bundle, red spinach at Tk10 to Tk15, green spinach at Tk20 per bundle, coriander leaves at Tk120 per kg.
Taibur Rahman, a poultry farm owner at Ghatail in Tangail, said the production of broiler chicken came down significantly in his area as many farm owners had closed operations during lockdown during the April to August period due to staggering losses.
He said production cost has now gone up to Tk150 per kg due to a 35% to 40% hike in poultry feed prices in the last year.
Secretary of Consumers Association of Bangladesh Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said rice, flour, edible oil, sugar, fish, lentil, broiler chicken and other essentials have witnessed a marked hike in a year, hitting the people of the low-income group hard.
The hike in the prices of broiler chicken, eggs and cultured fish means poor are being forced to minimize their protein consumption, he added.
Department of Agriculture Marketing (DAM) shows that the fine quality of aman rice is selling at Tk60 to Tk66 per kg, medium quality aman rice at Tk53 to Tk55 per kg, and that of coarse at Tk45 to Tk48 per kg. But the prices of different kinds of rice are higher than the prices shown at the DAM website.
New onions are available in the market. Local onion is being sold at Tk 40 per kg, down by Tk 10 the retail market. Potatoes are being sold at Tk 20 to 25 per kg.
In the fish market, Rohit and Carp are being sold at Tk 250-350, Walking fish at Tk 500-600, Telapia and Pangas at Tk 150-170.
Besides, a Hilsha weighing one and a half kilogram is being sold at Tk 1,000-1200 per kg while smaller size at Tk 500-600 only, while shrimp at Tk 600-650 only.
