Consumers suffer as prices of chicken, onion keep rising

Prices of essentials including chicken, onion continued to soar notably in the capital’s kitchen markets over the last week due to supply shortage against the increased demand, triggering further woes for commoners.

On Friday, upon visiting several kitchen markets around the capital, it was seen that the prices of broiler chicken, cock or sonali chicken and onion went up as compared to last week’s.

Onion has become dearer suddenly since the last day of September with prices of the kitchen staple showing continuous rise as of Friday.

Both market observers and consumers blamed traders for the sudden rise in onion price while the traders blamed a sudden decline in import for the hike.

Broiler chicken was seen being sold for Tk 170-Tk 175 per kg, compared to Tk 160-Tk 165 in the last week while the price of cock or sonali chicken was Tk 315-Tk 320 per kg which was Tk 300-Tk 310 at various kitchen markets in the capital in the last week.

Roni Ahmed, a seller of Al Baraka Chicken House at Mirpur-1 said, “The demand of broiler chicken and cock is increasing as the demand is increasing day by day in the hotels and restaurants recently.”

“On the other hand, the supply of chickens is not sufficient enough to meet the growing demand and that’s why the prices of chicken are being increased every week,” he added.

Khairul Islam, a customer at Karwan Bazar said, “The prices of essential commodities are increasing all most every day in the market.”

“And very unfortunately, onions are also becoming dearer to the low-income people like us as the price of this kitchen essential keep almost every day,” he added.

He also noted that the current prices of vegetables, edible oil and sugar are not affordable for many.

Like Khairul, many other consumers have expressed their disappointment over the recent commodities price hike in the kitchen markets.

They have also urged the government to monitor the local market to check the price hike of the essential commodities.

The local onion is selling for Tk 75-Tk 80 per kg while the Indian variety is being sold at Tk 65 per kg on Friday at the capital’s different kitchen markets including Mirpur, Karwan Bazar.

Earlier last week, a kilogram of local onion was sold at Tk 60-Tk 65 while the Indian variety was Tk 45-Tk 48 at different kitchen markets.

Abdur Rahman, an onion seller at Mirpur-1 claimed that prices of onion are being increased as currently Indian onion supply is not sufficient enough due to the largest puja festival in India.

He also said that onion price would go up further in the upcoming days as the supply and demand gap is being widened in the local market.

Blaming the wholesalers for the increased onion price, most of the retailers said, “As we purchase onion from the wholesalers at a higher rate, we too are bound to sell at a higher price.”

Bangladesh produced 33.62 lakh tons of onion in FY’ 20-21 against a domestic demand of around 24 lakh tons, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).