Some essential commodity prices decrease in a week

After a sudden hike, the prices of some essential commodities including chicken, onion, ginger, flour, and sugar have decreased by Tk 5-20 per kilogram at retail markets in the capital over the week.

However, prices of most other food products remained unchanged at the previous high.

Traders said the supply of some products has increased while the demand for many products has decreased due to the ongoing fruit season. As a result, the price of some products has decreased in the wholesale and retail markets.

Meanwhile, imported onions have arrived in the wholesale and retail markets. But in retail markets, onion prices are decreasing slowly compared to wholesale markets where prices decreased by more or less 50 per cent in the last 2/3 days.

Insiders said that if the supply of imported onions to the retail markets increases more, the price will come down further.

The price of broiler chicken has decreased by Tk 10-20 per kg over the week. It was sold at Tk 180-200 per kg on Thursday in the capital’s kitchen markets including Segunbagicha. The price of sonali variety chicken has decreased to Tk 280-300 per kg from Tk 300-320 during the week.

However, the price of eggs including farm, local chicken and duck has remained unchanged at the previous high. Farm chicken eggs are now sold at Tk 48-50 per hali (4 pieces), while local chicken eggs are at Tk 70-75 per hali. Beef and mutton prices also remained unchanged at Tk 800 and Tk 1100 respectively this week.

Last week, the spice market was the most volatile one. Though the prices of onion, garlic and ginger did not come down to the previous level, prices of these daily commodities have decreased significantly within a week.

The local onion was sold for Tk 75-80 per kg in retail markets in the capital on Thursday, which was Tk 95-100 per kg a week ago. The newly arrived imported onions were sold for Tk 60-70 per kg yesterday.

The prices of imported and local garlic and ginger have decreased by Tk 20-50 per kg within a week. Imported garlic is now sold at Tk 220-250 per kg, which was Tk 250-280 a week ago. The local garlic was sold at Tk 150-180 per kg yesterday; it was at Tk 200-220 per kg a week ago.

Imported ginger is now selling for Tk 250-280 per kg; it was over Tk 300 a week ago.

Md Mostafizur Rahman, a shopkeeper at Segunbagicha kitchen market, said, “Onions imported from India are already being sold in the retail markets.

So, the price has come down. Besides, people now eat different local fruits including mango and jackfruit for breakfast. Due to this, the demand for flour and rice has decreased somewhat.”

On the other hand, the price of sugar per 50kg sack has decreased by Tk 400 in the wholesale market, coming down from Tk 6600 to Tk 6200.

The price of various essential commodities including sugar, flour and lentils has decreased by Tk 5 per kg at retail level within a week. Sugar was sold for Tk 130-135 per kg on Thursday which was Tk 135-140 a week ago.

The 2kg packet of atta is now selling for Tk 118-125 which was Tk 130-135 a week ago. The price of a 2kg packet of flour has decreased to Tk 145 from Tk 150 one week ago.

The coarse lentil was sold at Tk 90-95 per kg yesterday; it was at Tk 95-100 per kg a week ago. The price of fine lentils has decreased to Tk 125-130 per kg from Tk 130-135 a week ago.

Other essential commodities including edible oil and rice are being sold at the previous high. A 1-litre bottle of soybean oil was sold for Tk 190, while a 5-litre bottle was for Tk 900, in the retail markets on Thursday.

During the week, the price of some vegetables including brinjal, bitter gourd and tomato increased, but the price of most other vegetables remained unchanged. The average price of vegetables is Tk 60-70 per kg, while brinjal, bitter gourd and tomato is now selling for Tk 70-80 per kg, up from Tk 60-70 one week ago.