Anisul Islam Noor :
Winter vegetables hit markets but with high price though late rainfall had increased the production above the previous year, the farmer claimed.
Prices of potato and imported garlic and packed flour showed upward trend, while broiler chicken and fishes saw a slight decline and prices of most other commodities remained static maintaining high trend, according to the traders of kitchen markets.
Despite having a record production, prices of potato increased significantly in a week. Although a blame game as usual takes place among the cold storage owners, the traders and the retailers over the price volatility, market observers remarkable profit for wholesalers.
Diamond variety of potato was sold at Tk 28-Tk 32 per kg last week, which was Tk 22-Tk 25 per kg earlier. Other variety was sold at Tk 36-Tk 40 per kg from Tk 30-Tk 32 a week ago.
Tofazzal Mia, a vegetable and potato wholesaler at Moulvibazar, said prices of the tuber crop have been witnessing gradual rise in the last ten days.
He said granola potato was sold at Tk 22-Tk 24 a kg at cold storages in Rangpur and Munshiganj last week from Tk 18-Tk 20 one and a half weeks ago.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and the Directorate General of Food (DGoF), potato production hit all-time high of 9.4 million tonnes last financial year (2015-16) against a demand for 7.0 million tonnes.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) member M Mosabbir Hossain said prices of most key essentials
rose in the last one and half months due to the lack of government monitoring.
He said price hike in potato is irrational as the country has a more than 2.4 million tonnes of surplus potato. Big market players raised prices to make windfall profits.
Cold storage owners, big traders and seasonal hoarders are taking away major portion of profits that farmers and consumers deserve, he said.
The Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA) Chairman Md Jasim Uddin said potato prices witnessed a slight hike a few days ago due to rain in many places.
Many of the cold storage owners thought this rain could hamper cultivation of early varieties of potato, for which some store houses squeezed supply, he said.
But now potato is selling at Tk 17-Tk 18 a kg in Munshiganj and Rangpur, the two biggest cold storage hubs, he said.
He called for a strict monitoring to reduce the price gap between cold storage houses and retail markets.
Prices of imported garlic increased to Tk 180-Tk 200 a kg from Tk 160-180 a kg seven days ago. Local onion and broiler chicken’s prices went down by Tk four-Tk five a kg in a week.
Meanwhile, some newly-harvested early varieties of winter vegetables like bean, radish, cauliflower, cabbage, coriander leafs and spinach (palong shak) were seen selling in the market at high prices.
Winter bean was sold at Tk 80-Tk 120 per kg, potato (new) at Tk100 to 110, radish at Tk 45-Tk 50, and coriander leaf at Tk 300 per kg. Cauliflower was sold at Tk 35-Tk 45, while a bunch of spinach was selling at Tk 15-Tk 20. Brinjal was sold at Tk 50 to 70, cucumber at Tk 60, french at Tk 60, bitter gourd at Tk 50 to 60 per kg. Bottle gourd was selling at Tk 50 to 60, ash gourd at Tk 30 to 35 per piece, cabbage at Tk 25 to 30 per piece, green chilli at 60 to 80 kg, capsicum (red) at Tk 350 kg and capsicum (green) at Tk 300 to 320 per.
Medium quality rice like Brridhan-28, 29, Paijam, Kajol Lata, Parija and Ratna were selling at Tk40-Tk45 per kg in the weekend on Friday. Fine varieties like Miniket, Najirshail and Kataribhog remained static maintaining higher rates. Miniket of different qualities were sold at Tk 46-Tk 54 per kg and Najirshail at Tk48-Tk 57 per kg in the city.
Cultivated Cat fish (Shing) was selling at Tk 350- 550 per kg, barbel at Tk 400 to 600, butter fish at Tk 250 to 300, lobster at Tk 450 to 600 kg, shrimp (River) at Tk 400-550, Puti at Tk 200 per kg, cultivated koi at Tk 130 to 180 per kg and koi (river) at Tk 400, Fali Chanda (Rupchada) at Tk 750 kg, pabda at Tk710, walking fish (Shoal) at Tk 300 kg, lata fish at Tk 180 to 220 and Eel at Tk 300 to 600 kg, sheat (boal) at Tk 300 to 550 kg, Ek-thota (Kaitta fish) at Tk 350 to Tk 400, Baila at Tk 450 to 600 kg, coral fish at Tk 550 kg, river Pangas at Tk 350 kg, cultivated Pangas at Tk 130 kg, Rajputi at Tk 300 kg, Tilapia at Tk 140 to Tk 200 kg, Ruhit at Tk 250 to Tk 380 kg, medium size carp (katol) at Tk 230 -360 per kg.
Sugar (white) was sold at Tk 70 to 76 per kg while sugar brown sold at Tk58 to 65.
Local varieties onion were sold at Tk 32 to 36 and imported at Tk 25 to 28 per kg.
Winter vegetables hit markets but with high price though late rainfall had increased the production above the previous year, the farmer claimed.
Prices of potato and imported garlic and packed flour showed upward trend, while broiler chicken and fishes saw a slight decline and prices of most other commodities remained static maintaining high trend, according to the traders of kitchen markets.
Despite having a record production, prices of potato increased significantly in a week. Although a blame game as usual takes place among the cold storage owners, the traders and the retailers over the price volatility, market observers remarkable profit for wholesalers.
Diamond variety of potato was sold at Tk 28-Tk 32 per kg last week, which was Tk 22-Tk 25 per kg earlier. Other variety was sold at Tk 36-Tk 40 per kg from Tk 30-Tk 32 a week ago.
Tofazzal Mia, a vegetable and potato wholesaler at Moulvibazar, said prices of the tuber crop have been witnessing gradual rise in the last ten days.
He said granola potato was sold at Tk 22-Tk 24 a kg at cold storages in Rangpur and Munshiganj last week from Tk 18-Tk 20 one and a half weeks ago.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and the Directorate General of Food (DGoF), potato production hit all-time high of 9.4 million tonnes last financial year (2015-16) against a demand for 7.0 million tonnes.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) member M Mosabbir Hossain said prices of most key essentials
rose in the last one and half months due to the lack of government monitoring.
He said price hike in potato is irrational as the country has a more than 2.4 million tonnes of surplus potato. Big market players raised prices to make windfall profits.
Cold storage owners, big traders and seasonal hoarders are taking away major portion of profits that farmers and consumers deserve, he said.
The Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA) Chairman Md Jasim Uddin said potato prices witnessed a slight hike a few days ago due to rain in many places.
Many of the cold storage owners thought this rain could hamper cultivation of early varieties of potato, for which some store houses squeezed supply, he said.
But now potato is selling at Tk 17-Tk 18 a kg in Munshiganj and Rangpur, the two biggest cold storage hubs, he said.
He called for a strict monitoring to reduce the price gap between cold storage houses and retail markets.
Prices of imported garlic increased to Tk 180-Tk 200 a kg from Tk 160-180 a kg seven days ago. Local onion and broiler chicken’s prices went down by Tk four-Tk five a kg in a week.
Meanwhile, some newly-harvested early varieties of winter vegetables like bean, radish, cauliflower, cabbage, coriander leafs and spinach (palong shak) were seen selling in the market at high prices.
Winter bean was sold at Tk 80-Tk 120 per kg, potato (new) at Tk100 to 110, radish at Tk 45-Tk 50, and coriander leaf at Tk 300 per kg. Cauliflower was sold at Tk 35-Tk 45, while a bunch of spinach was selling at Tk 15-Tk 20. Brinjal was sold at Tk 50 to 70, cucumber at Tk 60, french at Tk 60, bitter gourd at Tk 50 to 60 per kg. Bottle gourd was selling at Tk 50 to 60, ash gourd at Tk 30 to 35 per piece, cabbage at Tk 25 to 30 per piece, green chilli at 60 to 80 kg, capsicum (red) at Tk 350 kg and capsicum (green) at Tk 300 to 320 per.
Medium quality rice like Brridhan-28, 29, Paijam, Kajol Lata, Parija and Ratna were selling at Tk40-Tk45 per kg in the weekend on Friday. Fine varieties like Miniket, Najirshail and Kataribhog remained static maintaining higher rates. Miniket of different qualities were sold at Tk 46-Tk 54 per kg and Najirshail at Tk48-Tk 57 per kg in the city.
Cultivated Cat fish (Shing) was selling at Tk 350- 550 per kg, barbel at Tk 400 to 600, butter fish at Tk 250 to 300, lobster at Tk 450 to 600 kg, shrimp (River) at Tk 400-550, Puti at Tk 200 per kg, cultivated koi at Tk 130 to 180 per kg and koi (river) at Tk 400, Fali Chanda (Rupchada) at Tk 750 kg, pabda at Tk710, walking fish (Shoal) at Tk 300 kg, lata fish at Tk 180 to 220 and Eel at Tk 300 to 600 kg, sheat (boal) at Tk 300 to 550 kg, Ek-thota (Kaitta fish) at Tk 350 to Tk 400, Baila at Tk 450 to 600 kg, coral fish at Tk 550 kg, river Pangas at Tk 350 kg, cultivated Pangas at Tk 130 kg, Rajputi at Tk 300 kg, Tilapia at Tk 140 to Tk 200 kg, Ruhit at Tk 250 to Tk 380 kg, medium size carp (katol) at Tk 230 -360 per kg.
Sugar (white) was sold at Tk 70 to 76 per kg while sugar brown sold at Tk58 to 65.
Local varieties onion were sold at Tk 32 to 36 and imported at Tk 25 to 28 per kg.
