Vegetable prices rise following Cyclone Sitrang

The prices of vegetables have increased in Dhaka city markets, which traders put down to damage done by Cyclone Sitrang in different parts of the country.

Prices of different types of leafy vegetables have doubled in less than a week and other vegetables are selling at Tk5 to Tk10 per kg higher than the previous week.

Vegetable supply has decreased after the cyclone that hit the country on 24 October and the price may increase further, they said.

On Friday, red spinach and malabar spinach sold at Tk20 per bundle at Karwan Bazar and Moghbazar.

Nurul Islam, a vegetable seller at Moghbazar, said, "The wholesale price of vegetables has doubled after the cyclone. The prices of red spinach, malabar spinach have increased from Tk6-Tk7 to Tk16 per bundle and Tk10 to Tk20 per bundle respectively."

"We generally sell the vegetables at Tk2 to Tk3 higher than the purchase price," he said.

Meanwhile, prices of other vegetables including pointed gourd, okra, snake gourd, brinjal and spiny gourd have increased by Tk5 to Tk10 per kg. On Friday, pointed gourd, beans and brinjal were sold at Tk50, Tk70 and Tk60 per kg in different markets in Dhaka.

Showing a small cauliflower, Mohammad Babul, a vegetable seller in Karwan Bazar, said that it is now being sold at Tk40 per piece which was Tk30 a few days ago.

"The amount of vegetables coming from the southern region of the country has decreased after the cyclone. The market is now dependent on the vegetable supply from the northern region. That is why the price is a little higher," he said.

Abdul Majeed, who came to buy vegetables in Karwan Bazar, told The Business Standard, "All the vegetables are now being sold at more than Tk50 per kg. My salary is Tk20,000 per month. It has been impossible to run my four-member family with this. I have taken a loan of Tk3,000 in the last two months each."

Egg and meat price still high

Meanwhile, the prices of eggs and meat have not come down since they jumped up a few months ago with the fuel oil price hike in the country.

Currently, broiler eggs are being sold at Tk145 to Tk150 per dozen, broiler chicken at Tk175 to Tk180 per kg and Pakistani chicken at Tk310 to Tk320 per kg.

On the other hand, beef is selling at Tk700 per kg and mutton at Tk900 per kg.

The prices of rice are also high as miniket rice is selling at Tk73 to Tk75 per kg, atash rice at Tk56 to Tk58 per kg and nazirshail rice at Tk70 to Tk91 per kg.

Sugar crisis

Yesterday, sugar was available only at one shop among 10 shops visited in Karwan Bazar on Friday. However, the shop was selling packaged red sugar.

On 6 October, the Ministry of Commerce fixed the price of loose sugar at Tk90 per kg and packaged sugar at Tk95 per kg.

Mill owners claim that the production of sugar has decreased due to power shortage in the factories.

Md Taslim Shahriar, assistant general manager of Meghna Group, told The Business Standard, "Our sugar production has decreased due to gas shortage. We used to supply 4,000 to 5,000 tonnes of sugar daily, but now the amount has come down to only 1,600 to 1,700 tonnes."

Ali Hossain, salesman at Yasin General Store in Karwan Bazar, said, "There is no sugar in our store. We are not getting wholesale sugar as the companies are selling sugar directly from their cars."