The suffering of the middle-class and low-income people continues to rise for pricey kitchen items. Everyday names of new products are being added to the list of commodities with increasing prices. All kinds of vegetables are being sold at higher prices for months and raw pepper has been added to that list with its price scoring a double century.
With the announcement of a ban on onion exports from India, the price of onion doubled. At the same time, the price of ginger has also increased. This time the price of rice has been added to the list and prices of open edible oil and sugar have also gone up. Although there is not much difference in the prices of fish and meat, the price of vegetables is as high as before.
Turning to the various markets, it can be seen that the price of per kg of rice has gone up by 2-5 taka during the week. At present, per kg BR-28 rice is being sold at 50 taka, paijam rice at 48 taka, miniket rice at Tk 58 taka, cumin miniket rice at 55 to 56 taka, Nazirshail rice at 55 taka and aromatic rice (open) at 100 taka.
Traders are blaming the millers for the hike in the price of rice. Abul Kalam, a rice wholesaler at Mohammadpur Agricultural Market, told The Business Post that the mill owners had deliberately increased the price of rice. The price is higher because the wholesalers buy rice from the millers at a higher price. Reduction in the price by the millers will result in the prices of rice to go down in all the markets.
Meanwhile, onions are being sold at higher prices in the retail market despite lower wholesale prices. The local variety of onion is being sold at 90 to 100 taka per kg and imported onions at 70-75 taka per kg. In Shyambazar wholesale yard, onions are being sold at 65-70 taka per kg while imported LC onions are being sold at 50 to 52 taka.
On the other hand, the price of raw chilli has been increased by 20-30 taka per kg. At present, per kg raw chilli is being sold at 200-220 taka in the market and the price of Indian raw chilli stands at 180 taka per kg.
Besides, prices of per kg imported Chinese ginger and Kerala ginger stand at 240-250 taka and 160 taka respectively. In these markets, per kg garlic is being sold at 90 to 100 taka.
Prices of open soybean oil and sugar have also been shoot up. The price of open soybean oil has been increased by 5 taka per litre at 100 to 102 taka per litre. On the other hand, sugar is being sold at 65-70 taka per kg marking an increase of 3 taka per kg. However, the prices of fish, chicken, eggs, beef and mutton remained unchanged.
sr/wi
