Relief in vegetable and egg prices, but rising costs of lentils, oil, fish and meat strain consumers
A visit to the Hatirpool, New Market, Lalbagh and Azimpur markets found vegetable prices fluctuating.
While vegetables and spices are offering some relief to consumers, the soaring costs of fish, meat, and lentils are putting added pressure on low- and middle-income households.
Rabeya Khatun, a shopper at Hatirpool kitchen market, said today (5 September) prices of some vegetables have fallen, but several other essentials are still expensive. "In this season, prices should have been even lower."
A visit to the Hatirpool, New Market, Lalbagh and Azimpur markets found vegetable prices fluctuating.
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Tomatoes, bitter gourd, carrots, cucumbers and eggplants are selling at lower rates than last week, while bottle gourd and some other items have become slightly costlier.
Lemons are Tk20 per four pieces, potatoes Tk25 per kg and tomatoes Tk120 per kg, down from Tk160.
Bottle gourd, however, has risen to Tk80 from Tk70 a piece. Green chillies also eased, selling at Tk160 per kg compared to Tk200–Tk250 earlier.
The price of okra remains stable at Tk80 per kg. Bitter gourd, which was Tk100 earlier, has dropped to Tk80. Prices of pointed gourds and carrots have also fallen, from Tk80 to Tk60 per kg, while Chinese cauliflower is selling at Tk120 each.
Cucumber prices have also fallen, down from Tk80 to Tk60 per kg. Round eggplant has dropped from Tk160 to Tk120 per kg, medium eggplant from Tk120 to Tk100 and long eggplant from Tk100 to Tk60.
Yardlong beans are selling at Tk80 per kg. Snake gourd and sponge gourd, previously Tk100, are now available at Tk60. Besides, green bananas are being sold at Tk30 per dozen.
Rahat, a vegetable vendor at Hatirpool, said prices are usually higher during the monsoon, but they have eased a little now and are likely to fall further in the coming days.
Prices of leafy greens remain largely unchanged. Red spinach, Malabar spinach, and water spinach are being sold at Tk20 per bundle, while stem amaranth is available at Tk20–30 per bundle, as before.
Fish, meat and eggs
The prices of most fish have gone up. Rui and Katla are being sold at Tk370–Tk400 per kg, up from Tk300–Tk350.
Hilsa is also expensive, with one-kilogram-sized fish selling for Tk2,200–Tk2,400.
Meat prices have also shown an upward trend. Broiler is Tk180 per kg depending on quality, Sonali chicken has risen from Tk300 to Tk320 and Pakistani chicken is also Tk320.
Beef is being sold at Tk750 per kg, while mutton is Tk1,100.
On the other hand, egg prices have brought some relief in Dhaka's kitchen markets. Red eggs are selling at Tk144 per dozen, down from Tk150 last week, while four eggs are selling for Tk48. White eggs are available at Tk145 per dozen.
Prices of lentils, oil and rice
The prices of lentils and rice have edged up slightly, though edible oil has remained mostly stable.
Local lentils have increased from Tk145 to Tk155 per kg, while the Indian variant remains unchanged at Tk100. Broken lentils are Tk105–Tk110, local mung beans Tk150–Tk160 and other mung lentils Tk140–Tk145.
Grass pea or khesari dal is selling for Tk110–Tk112 per kg. Chickpeas have increased from Tk100 to Tk110, while chana dal is Tk120–Tk125.
Soybean oil has risen from Tk180 to Tk185–Tk190 per litre.
Rice prices have also gone up. Polao rice, previously Tk115–Tk120, is now Tk125–Tk130 per kg. Miniket is Tk78–Tk80, while Atash (28) and Pajam rice are both selling for Tk65 per kg.
Spice market
Retail spice prices have seen slight fluctuations, particularly with dried chillies becoming more expensive.
Black pepper is being sold at Tk150 per kg, cumin at Tk650, and cardamom at Tk4,800–5,200 per kg, all of which remain stable.
Cloves are priced at Tk1,600–1,700 per kg, cinnamon at Tk600, bay leaves at Tk180–200, powdered chilli at Tk400, and powdered turmeric at Tk400 per kg.
The price of dried chillies has risen by Tk20 per kg, now selling at Tk350–400 compared to Tk330–380 earlier.
On the other hand, prices of ginger, garlic, and onions have eased slightly.
Chinese ginger, which was Tk190 per kg earlier, is now Tk160, while local ginger is Tk140 per kg.
Chinese garlic is selling at Tk130 per kg, and local garlic at Tk110. Locally produced onions are available at Tk80 per kg, while hybrid onions are priced at Tk75.
