Economic Reporter :
The overheated kitchen markets in Dhaka left the middle class and marginal income groups of people gasping even in the winter season.
“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 Shamim Gowher, a businessman.
After visiting various kitchen markets, it was found that the retailers were selling popular vegetables at Tk50 to Tk90 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, reports UNB.
According to his market investigation, the price of broiler chicken has shot up to Tk200 a kg, pinching the pockets of commoners already battered by the surging prices of other essentials like rice, edible oil, sugar and pulses. Visiting some wholesale kitchen markets, the correspondent observed that the winter vegetables are selling at 20% to 30% higher prices based on quality this year compared to that of the previous year.
The price variation of vegetables also is based on areas like Gulshan, Banani and Hatirpool. The prices of vegetables at Karwan Bazar, Mohammadpur Krishi Market, Mirpur, Khilgaon, Fakirapool and Motijheel are almost similar.
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, onion (new) at Tk40 to Tk50, onion old at Tk70 to Tk80 per kg.
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. The prices of layer, Pakistani, Sonali and indigenous chicken breeds also showed a substantial hike amid the growing demand from households, restaurants and catering houses on the occasion of New Year celebrations as well as for different social-religious programs, said sellers.
The broiler chicken was selling at Tk185 to Tk200 per kg, while layer at Tk220 to Tk225, Pakistani at Tk300 to Tk320, Sonali at Tk320 to Tk 330 and indigenous ones at Tk490 to Tk530 per kg, marking a 15% to 20% hike just in a week. But broiler chicken witnessed more than a 30% hike in the last two weeks, while the current price is 49% higher than the price a year ago.
Habibur Rahman, a poultry farm owner at Basail 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.
