Most vegetables selling at Tk100 per kg

Prices of almost all vegetables have doubled in one and a half months, selling at Tk 100 per kilogram or above.

The traders said that as production has decreased and vegetable fields have been destroyed in continuous rain and floods, the price of the vegetables has increased.

Besides, many farmers could not cultivate early winter vegetables in this season, and those who did suffered losses – this is also the reason for the rise in price.

On Friday, Mohammad Anisur, a vegetable vendor at Kalyanpur Bus Stand, said, "Most of the vegetables are being sold at Tk100 per kg."

Mohammad Monir, another vegetable seller, said that most of the vegetables are being sold at Tk100 per kg, but papaya is being sold at Tk35 per kg, potato at Tk60 per kg, and radish at Tk90 per kg.

People with limited income are now buying vegetables in less quantities. He who used to buy one kg is now taking half a kg.

TBS talked to four vegetable vendors at Kalyanpur and Karwan Bazar on Friday; they all said that there is a supply shortage of vegetables.

Mohammad Azad, another vendor at Karwan Bazar, said that vegetable trucks are entering Karwan Bazar 50% less than usual.

He said trucks are less, but wholesale buyers are more, so the price is higher due to demand.

He said, "We are selling beans at Tk400 per kg as many bean plants died in rainwater."

Bitter gourd, eggplant, chichinga, jhinga, and dhundul are being sold at Tk100 per kg. Compared to two weeks ago, the price has increased by around Tk20 per kg.

Imran Master, president of the Bangladesh Wholesale Commodity Owners Association, said that many vegetable fields in low-lying areas have been submerged due to heavy rains. As a result, the production of vegetables has decreased.

Winter vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, and beans could not be cultivated in the low-lying areas of North Bengal, Noakhali, Cumilla, Kushtia, and Khulna due to floods and waterlogging, he added.

Eggs and chickens are still sold at higher prices

Meanwhile, although the price of eggs has decreased slightly, eggs are being sold more than the price set by the government.

On September 15, the Department of Agricultural Marketing fixed the prices of broiler eggs and broilers and sonali chickens to control the price.

According to the Department of Agricultural Marketing rates, broiler chicken should be sold at Tk179.59 per kg and sonali chicken at Tk269.64 per kg. Apart from this, the retail price of each egg should be kept at Tk11.87 and a dozen eggs at Tk142.44.

On Friday, visiting Karwan Bazar, Kalyanpur, and Hatirpool Bazar in the capital and talking to buyers and sellers, it was seen that eggs are being sold in the market at Tk160-170 per dozen. Which had gone up to Tk180 last week.

Broiler chicken is being sold at Tk200-205 per kg.

Subhas Saha, a 60-year-old shopper at Karwan Bazar, said, "The present government is saying that it will reduce the price of daily essentials, but we are not seeing its reflection."

"I have heard about the market monitoring of the students, but we do not see them in the market," he added.

"We work for private companies, which do not increase our salary. But the price of daily essentials is increasing day by day. So we are cutting costs from our daily food items," he said.

Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, another shopper at Karwan Bazar, said, "Everyone has to fulfil their responsibilities properly, then everything will be fine. We only give excuses. Now I am saying that the price of vegetables has increased due to rain. The supply is low, so the price of eggs is high. I don't hear the prices of essentials have increased with such a jump in other countries."

Meanwhile, India has relaxed the export conditions, and onions have started coming through the country's ports. Still, the price of onion has been increased by Tk5 per kg. Now, good-quality country-origin onions are selling at Tk125-130.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Farida Akhtar, adviser to the interim government's Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, said at an event in the capital that traders were claiming there was a shortage of eggs. Later on the news of import, the price of eggs decreased slightly. This means that the increase in the price of eggs is manipulation.

The adviser also said that in some seasons the production of eggs also decreased due to natural reasons. Egg consumption is reduced during Ramadan. So cold storage should be thought of in light of demand and not stock. Besides, eggs should be declared an essential food.