Households feel the pinch as food turns dearer following fuel price hike

An upward trend in the prices of most food items, including sugar, eggs and onions, has put low- and middle-income consumers under pressure, with traders attributing the rise to increased transportation costs caused by higher fuel prices.

Highlights: TBS

Traders said transport costs have been rising for about a month due to the fuel crisis, and the government's recent fuel price hike has further impacted the market, pushing up the prices of goods.

A visit to some of the capital's kitchen markets showed that prices of most food items have increased over the week.

Rafiqul Islam, a retailer at New Market, told TBS, "With the rise in fuel prices, truck trip costs have also increased, along with the prices of essentials. For long-distance routes, an additional Tk2,000 to Tk8,000 is being charged per truck."

Md Saiful Islam, a private sector employee shopping at New Market in the capital, said, "Prices seem to be rising every day. Earlier, a week's groceries could be managed within Tk2,00-3,000, but now it is hard to keep it below Tk4,000."

Sharmin Akter, a shopper at Lalbagh kitchen market, expressed dismay over the high vegetable prices. "Vegetable prices are as high as they were during Ramadan. If everything stays this expensive, how will ordinary people like us survive?" she wondered.

Rising prices of food items are straining household budgets. Raihan Mia, another shopper at Lalbagh market, told TBS, "My salary has not increased. Where will I find the money to meet the increased prices?"

It was found that farm egg prices have gone up significantly over the past week. A dozen eggs, which previously sold for Tk100-110, are now priced at Tk130-140. In some neighbourhood retail shops, a dozen eggs are being sold for as much as Tk150.

Sugar prices have increased by Tk5 per kg. Loose sugar is now selling at Tk105-110 per kg, up from Tk100-105, while packaged sugar is being sold at Tk110 per kg.

Onion prices have also risen. A week ago, onions were selling at Tk30-35 per kg, but now they are being sold at Tk35-45.

Meanwhile, the supply of bottled edible oil in the retail market has yet to return to normal, forcing most consumers to buy loose oil at higher prices.

However, prices of Sonali and broiler chickens have declined. Broiler chicken is now selling at Tk180-190 per kg, while Sonali chicken is priced at Tk350-370 per kg. A week ago, Sonali chicken was selling at Tk380-410, and earlier it had risen to as high as Tk460.

According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh's (TCB) daily market report, prices of various food items have increased. 

Medium-quality rice (Paijam/Atash) has risen by Tk5 per kg to Tk60-68. Loose flour has increased by Tk2 per kg, while packaged flour and loose flour have gone up by Tk5, loose soybean oil by Tk3, chickpeas by Tk5-10 depending on quality, small cardamom by Tk100 per kg, coriander and bay leaves by Tk20 per kg, cucumbers by Tk10, and farm eggs by up to Tk18 per dozen, the report said.

Consumers said vegetable prices have been rising for some time, with fish and other food items also becoming more expensive recently.

Market visits show notable increases in the prices of eggplant, pointed gourd, teasel gourd, sponge gourd and bitter gourd. Prices of pumpkin, bottle gourd, okra, green bananas and Malabar spinach have also risen.

Teasel gourd is selling at Tk160-170 per kg, eggplant at Tk120-150, cucumbers at Tk110-120, bitter gourd at Tk110, yardlong beans at Tk100, and snake gourd at Tk90 per kg.

Additionally, tomatoes are selling at Tk60-70 per kg, bottle gourd at Tk60-70 per piece, okra at Tk60 per kg, pumpkin at Tk50 per kg, taro stems at Tk80 per kg, and green bananas at Tk40 per four pieces.

Fish prices have also increased. Rui is selling at Tk320-500 per kg depending on size, tilapia at Tk220, farmed tengra at Tk400, pabda at Tk450, pangash at Tk220, shrimp at Tk800-1,200, and hilsa at Tk2,000-2,200 per kg.