Tomato price rises to Tk250 per kg, cucumber Tk120!

The prices of tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots have gone up in the kitchen market due to an insufficient supply of these vegetables prior to Eid-ul-Azha.

Nazir Amin, who sells vegetables near New Eskaton Pump in the capital, said, "I sold tomatoes for Tk320 per kg two days ago, today it is only Tk250 per kg for you."

When asked why the price was so high, he said that there are no local tomatoes in the market, as the season is over. These are Indian tomatoes, so the price is high, he added.

The situation was the same at Kawran Bazar wholesale market.

The best Indian tomatoes are being sold at Tk180 to Tk200 per kg in Kawran market. A little lower quality tomatoes are being sold for Tk150-180.

Kalam Mia, a seller in Kawran Bazar, said, "These are Indian tomatoes. It costs more to import them. Also, the demand has increased in the morning due to Eid, so the prices are higher in the market."

Not only the price of tomatoes, but prices of cucumbers and carrots have also gone up ahead of Eid.

Sharir Hossain, a vegetable seller in the capital's Hatirpul, told TBS that cucumbers cost Tk120 per kg and carrot is Tk100 per kg.

When asked to lower the price, he said, "Mama, don't haggle please, the price has gone up on the occasion of Eid, due to which I had to buy the vegetables at a higher price."

Nuru Mollah, a carrot seller in Kawran Bazar, said that the prices of cucumbers, tomatoes and carrots go up a bit every year at the time of Eid. However, this year there is a lack of supply of these vegetables in North Bengal due to the floods which has increased the price too much, he added.