Gulam Rabbani :
Uptrend of the prices of the essential commodities is continuing in the markets of the capital city, despite the government has fixed the price of rice and potatoes.
These products were being sold at the cost more than the fixed price in most of the markets of the capital city on Friday.
Most of the vegetables were also selling at the high prices in the city’s kitchen markets on the day. Vegetables, which were used to sell between Tk 50 to 70 per kg, are now being sold at Tk 60-100.
Traders said that the price went up due to low supply of vegetables. Even though the winter vegetables started coming to the market in advance, the price didn’t come down as the supply was very less than the demand of the consumers.
The price of green chilies has also gone more than Tk 250 per kg. Domestic onions are being sold at Tk Tk 80-90 per kg.
Potatoes are being sold at Tk 60 per kg in the retail markets and in the wholesale shops at Tk 45-50 per kg. The price of fish has gone up in the markets after the Hilsa catching had been stopped. The sellers said that the price of different types of fish has increased by Tk 10 to 30 per kg.
The rice market was also upward throughout the year. Prices have risen in step by step. The Ministry of Food has repeatedly instructed the mill owners to control the prices. Even then, the rice market is not going to be brought under control in any way.
The prices of different types of rice have increased by Tk 5 to 15 per kg comparing to the prices of 15 days before.
The consumers have expressed frustration over the increase in prices of all types of essential commodities. They also complained that the government’s strategy of fixing prices of the essential commodities and fining is not working to control the markets.
Only three days before, the government had fixed the retail price of the potato at Tk 30 per kg after the vegetable surged to a record high at Tk 55 to 60 per kg. The Department of Agricultural Marketing fixed the maximum retail price of the vegetable.
In recent letters to the Deputy Commissioners (DCs), the department requested them to monitor district-level markets of the tuber.
Earlier, the Agricultural Marketing Department had prepared a report on the recent hike in potato prices, estimating the production cost, cold-storage fare, wholesale and retail prices. In the report, the Department said the production cost of potatoes that are being sold now computed to Tk 8.32 per kg.
Last February, during the potato harvesting season, the field-level price of the vegetable was Tk 14 per kg. Businessmen purchased potatoes at that rate and stored the tubers to cold storage.
Price per kg of potato further rose to Tk 19, including Tk 3.66 storage fare, Tk 0.45 grading cost and Tk 0.88 system loss per kg. Big farmers and traders had sold potatoes from cold storage at Tk 22.50 per kg during the last week of March, at a profit of Tk 3.50 per kg.
However, retail prices climbed to Tk 55 to 60, said the Agricultural Marketing Department. Explaining the price hike, the Department said that market demand is exceeding the numbers being released from cold storage by unscrupulous traders, thereby prompting a fake crisis.
Uptrend of the prices of the essential commodities is continuing in the markets of the capital city, despite the government has fixed the price of rice and potatoes.
These products were being sold at the cost more than the fixed price in most of the markets of the capital city on Friday.
Most of the vegetables were also selling at the high prices in the city’s kitchen markets on the day. Vegetables, which were used to sell between Tk 50 to 70 per kg, are now being sold at Tk 60-100.
Traders said that the price went up due to low supply of vegetables. Even though the winter vegetables started coming to the market in advance, the price didn’t come down as the supply was very less than the demand of the consumers.
The price of green chilies has also gone more than Tk 250 per kg. Domestic onions are being sold at Tk Tk 80-90 per kg.
Potatoes are being sold at Tk 60 per kg in the retail markets and in the wholesale shops at Tk 45-50 per kg. The price of fish has gone up in the markets after the Hilsa catching had been stopped. The sellers said that the price of different types of fish has increased by Tk 10 to 30 per kg.
The rice market was also upward throughout the year. Prices have risen in step by step. The Ministry of Food has repeatedly instructed the mill owners to control the prices. Even then, the rice market is not going to be brought under control in any way.
The prices of different types of rice have increased by Tk 5 to 15 per kg comparing to the prices of 15 days before.
The consumers have expressed frustration over the increase in prices of all types of essential commodities. They also complained that the government’s strategy of fixing prices of the essential commodities and fining is not working to control the markets.
Only three days before, the government had fixed the retail price of the potato at Tk 30 per kg after the vegetable surged to a record high at Tk 55 to 60 per kg. The Department of Agricultural Marketing fixed the maximum retail price of the vegetable.
In recent letters to the Deputy Commissioners (DCs), the department requested them to monitor district-level markets of the tuber.
Earlier, the Agricultural Marketing Department had prepared a report on the recent hike in potato prices, estimating the production cost, cold-storage fare, wholesale and retail prices. In the report, the Department said the production cost of potatoes that are being sold now computed to Tk 8.32 per kg.
Last February, during the potato harvesting season, the field-level price of the vegetable was Tk 14 per kg. Businessmen purchased potatoes at that rate and stored the tubers to cold storage.
Price per kg of potato further rose to Tk 19, including Tk 3.66 storage fare, Tk 0.45 grading cost and Tk 0.88 system loss per kg. Big farmers and traders had sold potatoes from cold storage at Tk 22.50 per kg during the last week of March, at a profit of Tk 3.50 per kg.
However, retail prices climbed to Tk 55 to 60, said the Agricultural Marketing Department. Explaining the price hike, the Department said that market demand is exceeding the numbers being released from cold storage by unscrupulous traders, thereby prompting a fake crisis.
