Anisul Islam Noor :
Prices of the essential commodities continue to rise in the city’s kitchen markets, giving no relief to the consumers of the middle and the lower middle income groups.
The reporter while visiting different kitchen markets at the weekend on Friday observed
an upward trend of price despite adequate supply.
Market observers said, the price hike is illogical, as there is no short supply of essential commodities in the markets.
The month of Ramzan will, however, begins on Sunday, as the new moon was not sighted on Friday.
Meanwhile, prices of chickpea (gram), one of the key Ramzan essentials, further increased by 11 per cent last week as medium quality was traded at Tk 90-Tk 105 a kg, according to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) data.
Finer chickpea was sold at Tk 110-Tk 130 a kg, up by six per cent in a week.
Besides, prices of sugar, grass pea (khesari), garlic, puffed rice (muri), palm oil, date, brinjal, and coriander leaf have further increased.
The price of grass pea rose by five per cent, imported garlic by 12.5 per cent, sugar by three per cent, palm oil by six per cent, muri by 10 per cent, some brinjal varieties by 30 per cent and date by eight per cent in a week, according to TCB and Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM).
But prices of rice, beef, mutton and soybean oil are now 10-42 per cent, 14 per cent, 22 per cent and 11-14 per cent higher respectively compared with that of last year, TCB said.
Raihan Uddin, a grocer of Malibag Bazar, accused the wholesalers of raising the prices of many essentials.
He said, chickpea, khesari and sugar prices increased at Moulvibazar wholesale market in the city.
When asked, President of Bangladesh Pulses Wholesalers Association Haji Md Shafi said prices have witnessed at Tk 0.5-1.0 hike per kg in last one and half weeks following a normal market trend. He said retailers are charging higher for the items.
Polash Saha, a Khatunganj-based trader, said prices of palm oil and sugar have surged further in Chittagong.
He said the cost of a maund of sugar is now Tk 2,500 against DO (delivery order) price of Tk 2,200.
He said that prices of chickpea was static at Chittagong wholesales market for last 10 days and sold at Tk 2,725-Tk 2,800 a maund (37.32 kgs) on Thursday. He said, however, some varieties showed a slight decline.
According to the Price Monitoring and Forecasting Cell (PMFC) under the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) private sector imported 0.303 million tonnes of chickpea in last 15 months against a demand for 0.08 million tonnes. The import costs were Tk 70-Tk 75 per kg based on qualities.
The country has a demand for 1.5 million tonnes of sugar when 1.65 million tonnes are available now and the price of refined sugar is maximum Tk 56 per kg.
Imported garlic prices hit Tk 250-Tk 270 a kg last week while grass pea Tk 90-Tk 100 a kg. Nearly 0.3 million tonnes of garlic was imported at a cost of Tk 140-Tk 180 a kg while local production was above 0.4 million tonnes, according to PMFC.
Md Akhter Hossain, team leader of PMFC, said both local production and import of some key essentials are good enough to meet the demand.
The importers brought in about 35,000 tonnes of date against demand for 20,000 tonnes, according to PMFC.
Additional Research Director of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem said, though the country follows open market economy, competition is almost absent as the market is dominated by a section of traders.
He said the government should gear up monitoring to keep pressure on traders to prevent irrational price hike.
The Commerce Ministry should publish data on local production, import and international prices on monthly basis to inform consumers about prices.
He said the government’s share in the market should be increased significantly to give limited income group some relief.
“It should take measures to buy a good volume of essentials through TCB and provide them at subsidised rates to limited income consumers,” he said.
Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said, overall expenditure of people has increased and set to surge further in the fasting month as most of essentials have become pricier.
Market monitoring should be increased and punishment should be given to unscrupulous traders to prevent any artificial shortage.
Of fishes, cat fish was selling at Tk 650 to 800, cultivated cat fish (Shing) at Tk 500- 550 per kg, barbell (cultivated) at Tk 600 to 800, butter fish at Tk 250 to 300, sheat (boal) at Tk 350 to 400 per kg on Friday, lobster at Tk 500 to 650 kg, shrimp (River) at Tk 400 -550, puti at Tk 250 per kg, cultivated koi at Tk 140 to 180 per kg, Fali Chanda (Rupchanda) at Tk 750 to 800 per kg, walking fish (Shoal) at Tk 500 per kg, lata fish at Tk 200 to 250 and Eel at Tk 600 per kg, batashi at Tk 450 to 550 per kg, koi (river) at Tk 450, aire fish at Tk 500 to 600 per kg, pabda at Tk 600, Ek-thota (Kaitta fish) at Tk 350 to Tk 400, baila at Tk 500 to 700 per kg, coral fish at Tk 550 kg, river pangas at Tk 350 per kg, cultivated pangas at Tk 130 per kg, rajputi at Tk 300 per kg, telapia at Tk 140 to Tk 200 per kg, ruhit at Tk 250 to Tk 380 per kg, medium size carp (katol) at Tk 230 -360 per kg.
Beef was selling at Tk 480-Tk 520 per kg and mutton at Tk700 to 780 per kg, poultry chicken was selling at Tk 170 to 175 per kg and Egg local at Tk 60 per hali (four piece), farm egg at Tk35 hali and egg (duck) at Tk 48 per hali.
Of the vegetables, brinjal was selling at Tk 40 to 50 per kg, tomato at Tk 45 to 50, Sajina at Tk 100 per kg, potato at Tk 20 to 25, cucurbitaceous at Tk 60 to 70, carrot at Tk 40 to 50, bitter gourd at Tk 40 to 50, cucumber at Tk 30 to 40, spone gourd at Tk 60 to 70, green papaya at Tk 45 to 50, french at Tk 60 to 70, snake gourd at Tk 40 to 50, okra at Tk 40, pumpkin (medium size) at Tk 50 to 60 per piece, bottle gourd at Tk 40 to 50, ash gourd at Tk 35 to 45 per piece, cauliflower at 30 to 35 per piece, coriander leaves at Tk 220 per kg, green chilli at 60 to 70 kg, capsicum (red) at Tk 250 per kg and capsicum (green) at Tk 200 to 220 per kg. Lemon was selling at Tk seven to eight per piece.
Coarse variety Swarna rice was selling at Tk 47 to 50 per kg in different in the city. Present price of the coarse variety is an all-time high, according to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM).
Miniket was selling at Tk 52 to 54, Nazirshail at Tk 54 to 56 and BR-28 at Tk 48 to 50 only.
Prices of the essential commodities continue to rise in the city’s kitchen markets, giving no relief to the consumers of the middle and the lower middle income groups.
The reporter while visiting different kitchen markets at the weekend on Friday observed
an upward trend of price despite adequate supply.
Market observers said, the price hike is illogical, as there is no short supply of essential commodities in the markets.
The month of Ramzan will, however, begins on Sunday, as the new moon was not sighted on Friday.
Meanwhile, prices of chickpea (gram), one of the key Ramzan essentials, further increased by 11 per cent last week as medium quality was traded at Tk 90-Tk 105 a kg, according to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) data.
Finer chickpea was sold at Tk 110-Tk 130 a kg, up by six per cent in a week.
Besides, prices of sugar, grass pea (khesari), garlic, puffed rice (muri), palm oil, date, brinjal, and coriander leaf have further increased.
The price of grass pea rose by five per cent, imported garlic by 12.5 per cent, sugar by three per cent, palm oil by six per cent, muri by 10 per cent, some brinjal varieties by 30 per cent and date by eight per cent in a week, according to TCB and Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM).
But prices of rice, beef, mutton and soybean oil are now 10-42 per cent, 14 per cent, 22 per cent and 11-14 per cent higher respectively compared with that of last year, TCB said.
Raihan Uddin, a grocer of Malibag Bazar, accused the wholesalers of raising the prices of many essentials.
He said, chickpea, khesari and sugar prices increased at Moulvibazar wholesale market in the city.
When asked, President of Bangladesh Pulses Wholesalers Association Haji Md Shafi said prices have witnessed at Tk 0.5-1.0 hike per kg in last one and half weeks following a normal market trend. He said retailers are charging higher for the items.
Polash Saha, a Khatunganj-based trader, said prices of palm oil and sugar have surged further in Chittagong.
He said the cost of a maund of sugar is now Tk 2,500 against DO (delivery order) price of Tk 2,200.
He said that prices of chickpea was static at Chittagong wholesales market for last 10 days and sold at Tk 2,725-Tk 2,800 a maund (37.32 kgs) on Thursday. He said, however, some varieties showed a slight decline.
According to the Price Monitoring and Forecasting Cell (PMFC) under the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) private sector imported 0.303 million tonnes of chickpea in last 15 months against a demand for 0.08 million tonnes. The import costs were Tk 70-Tk 75 per kg based on qualities.
The country has a demand for 1.5 million tonnes of sugar when 1.65 million tonnes are available now and the price of refined sugar is maximum Tk 56 per kg.
Imported garlic prices hit Tk 250-Tk 270 a kg last week while grass pea Tk 90-Tk 100 a kg. Nearly 0.3 million tonnes of garlic was imported at a cost of Tk 140-Tk 180 a kg while local production was above 0.4 million tonnes, according to PMFC.
Md Akhter Hossain, team leader of PMFC, said both local production and import of some key essentials are good enough to meet the demand.
The importers brought in about 35,000 tonnes of date against demand for 20,000 tonnes, according to PMFC.
Additional Research Director of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem said, though the country follows open market economy, competition is almost absent as the market is dominated by a section of traders.
He said the government should gear up monitoring to keep pressure on traders to prevent irrational price hike.
The Commerce Ministry should publish data on local production, import and international prices on monthly basis to inform consumers about prices.
He said the government’s share in the market should be increased significantly to give limited income group some relief.
“It should take measures to buy a good volume of essentials through TCB and provide them at subsidised rates to limited income consumers,” he said.
Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said, overall expenditure of people has increased and set to surge further in the fasting month as most of essentials have become pricier.
Market monitoring should be increased and punishment should be given to unscrupulous traders to prevent any artificial shortage.
Of fishes, cat fish was selling at Tk 650 to 800, cultivated cat fish (Shing) at Tk 500- 550 per kg, barbell (cultivated) at Tk 600 to 800, butter fish at Tk 250 to 300, sheat (boal) at Tk 350 to 400 per kg on Friday, lobster at Tk 500 to 650 kg, shrimp (River) at Tk 400 -550, puti at Tk 250 per kg, cultivated koi at Tk 140 to 180 per kg, Fali Chanda (Rupchanda) at Tk 750 to 800 per kg, walking fish (Shoal) at Tk 500 per kg, lata fish at Tk 200 to 250 and Eel at Tk 600 per kg, batashi at Tk 450 to 550 per kg, koi (river) at Tk 450, aire fish at Tk 500 to 600 per kg, pabda at Tk 600, Ek-thota (Kaitta fish) at Tk 350 to Tk 400, baila at Tk 500 to 700 per kg, coral fish at Tk 550 kg, river pangas at Tk 350 per kg, cultivated pangas at Tk 130 per kg, rajputi at Tk 300 per kg, telapia at Tk 140 to Tk 200 per kg, ruhit at Tk 250 to Tk 380 per kg, medium size carp (katol) at Tk 230 -360 per kg.
Beef was selling at Tk 480-Tk 520 per kg and mutton at Tk700 to 780 per kg, poultry chicken was selling at Tk 170 to 175 per kg and Egg local at Tk 60 per hali (four piece), farm egg at Tk35 hali and egg (duck) at Tk 48 per hali.
Of the vegetables, brinjal was selling at Tk 40 to 50 per kg, tomato at Tk 45 to 50, Sajina at Tk 100 per kg, potato at Tk 20 to 25, cucurbitaceous at Tk 60 to 70, carrot at Tk 40 to 50, bitter gourd at Tk 40 to 50, cucumber at Tk 30 to 40, spone gourd at Tk 60 to 70, green papaya at Tk 45 to 50, french at Tk 60 to 70, snake gourd at Tk 40 to 50, okra at Tk 40, pumpkin (medium size) at Tk 50 to 60 per piece, bottle gourd at Tk 40 to 50, ash gourd at Tk 35 to 45 per piece, cauliflower at 30 to 35 per piece, coriander leaves at Tk 220 per kg, green chilli at 60 to 70 kg, capsicum (red) at Tk 250 per kg and capsicum (green) at Tk 200 to 220 per kg. Lemon was selling at Tk seven to eight per piece.
Coarse variety Swarna rice was selling at Tk 47 to 50 per kg in different in the city. Present price of the coarse variety is an all-time high, according to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM).
Miniket was selling at Tk 52 to 54, Nazirshail at Tk 54 to 56 and BR-28 at Tk 48 to 50 only.
