The prices of vegetables and rice have shot up amid a strict lockdown, but prices of broiler chicken have come down in the capital’s kitchen market.
Traders at different kitchen markets of Dhaka on Friday said prices of vegetables and rice are high due to the excess rainfall the country has been experiencing. However, beef is selling at the same price as the last week Tk 580 to 600 per kg and mutton is being sold at Tk 800 to 900 per kg.
On the other hand, broiler chicken is being sold at Tk 130 to 135, which was Tk 140 to 145 per kg last week. Meanwhile, the price of layer chicken is Tk 230 to 240 per kg this week and sonali chicken is Tk 200 to 230 per kg.
Md Alamgir Hossain, a trader at the Farmgate kitchen market, said the sales of broiler chicken have decreased as hotels and community centres remain closed due to the ongoing lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic, causing the price to drop.
The prices of almost all types of vegetables have gone up in the markets of the capital during this week. While visiting several kitchen markets including Rajabazar, Shukrabad, Farmgate and Karwan Bazar in the capital on Friday, it was found that prices of most vegetables have increased by at least Tk 10 to 25 in one week’s gap.
The price of carrots increased the most among vegetables. One week ago, carrots were being sold at Tk 60 to Tk 80 per kg but now the price has gone up to Tk 100 per kg, making it the most expensive vegetable in the market at present.
On the other hand, tomatoes are being sold at Tk 80 to 100 per kg, up by Tk 20 from last week’s price. Meanwhile, lady’s fingers now cost Tk 50 per kg, up by Tk 10, long beans Tk 60, up by Tk 10, bottle gourds Tk 40-50, up by Tk 20, okras Tk 40, up by Tk 15, bitter gourds Tk 50 to 60, up by Tk 15, cucumbers Tk 50-60, up by Tk 15, green bananas (four pieces) at Tk 25-30, up by Tk 10 and snake gourds Tk 50-60, up by Tk 20.
Parvez Uddin, a vegetable trader at Shukrabad kitchen market, blamed rainfall for the price hike, saying that it caused a lot of damage to the vegetable fields. fewer vegetables are being delivered due to the damage, which is not enough to fulfil the demands.
If this situation continues the price might increase further, Parvez added.
Mohammed Shirajul Islam a customer at Rajabazar kitchen market, said, “The price range of all kinds of vegetables has gone out of our budget. We can buy very little of our daily necessities if we come to the market with Tk 1,000.”
“If the price of vegetables keeps shooting up like this, we might have to survive without food,” he added.
To add to the miseries of people during the pandemic, the prices of rice increased further in the city retail markets. The prices of common coarse, medium quality and finer varieties of rice increased by Tk 1-Tk 3 per kg in the last week, according to retail traders.
Basmati rice is currently being sold at Tk 68 per kg, up by Tk 2, coarse rice at Tk 44 per kg, up by Tk 1-2, paijam rice (old) at Tk 53 per kg, up by Tk 2, miniket rice at 64 per kg, up by Tk 3, and nawab miniket rice at Tk 65-68 per kg, up by at Tk 2-3.
Meanwhile, the price of Rashid miniket and BRRI-29 rice remain unchanged at Tk 66 per kg and Tk 50-52 per kg, respectively.
Rice wholesaler Badshah of Badshah Rice Agency at Karwan Bazar said the price of rice in the wholesale market did not increase. He blamed the retailers had hiked the price illogically as there is no reason to increase the price.
