Staff Reporter :
The capital’s kitchen markets on Thursday saw a rapid surge in prices of different vegetables on the second day of the seven-day lockdown imposed to contain Covid-19 infections in the country.
Traders attributed supply crunch during lockdown for the increase in vegetable prices.
Buyers said the prices of some vegetables have already doubled due to the crisis.
Monir, a buyer, at the capital’s Maniknagar kitchen market said,
“The same papaya that he had bought at Tk 20 per kg earlier, it is now selling at Tk 40. Besides, I bought per kg cucumber at Tk 40 two days ago, now it is selling at Tk 70 to Tk 80 per kg.”
“Besides, the prices of all vegetables including bitter gourd, ladies finger, tomato, bean, eggplant, pumpkin, potato and papaya have also increased,” he added.
Traders are raising vegetable prices as per their whims in defence of the ongoing lockdown,” he said.
Monir said, there is no monitoring in the market even if it the month of Ramzan. We are bearing the brunt of price hike in every Ramzan.
While visiting the market, our correspondent found no physical distancing during selling of vegetables.
Our correspondents also visited Karwan Bazar, Fakirapool, Palashi and Hatirpool kitchen markets and found the prices of almost all vegetables selling at higher prices, compared with the prices a week ago.
Tomato was found being sold at Tk 40 to Tk 45 per kg, up from Tk 15 to Tk 20, patal at Tk 60 to Tk 65, up from Tk 40 to Tk 45 per kg and ladies finger at Tk 70 to Tk 80, up from Tk 60 and brinjal at Tk 70 to Tk 80, up from Tk 40 to Tk 50.
“Prices of vegetables go up due to demand supply mismatch,” claims a trader.
Mohammad Ali Madbar, another buyer at Karwan Bazar said, “The vegetables that I had bought for Tk 50 two days ago are now Tk 70-80 today (Thursday).”
Md Azizur Rahman, a trader has claimed that prices for everything at the wholesale market have gone up so they are being forced to sell at a high rate for profit.
